iPhone 17 Pro Max moving text messages from known senders to unknown and allowing actual spam to show up in known senders

The iPhone 17 Pro Max filter misroutes contacts due to an issue with the message categorization system, often worsened by a full blocked list limit. You can fix misfiled contacts by adding them to your Favorites or replying to their threads, and you can clear old blocked numbers to make room for new spam. 

Fixing Misfiled Messages

• Check if the sender is fully saved in your Contacts app with a valid phone number or email.
• Send a reply to the misfiled contact to force the phone to recognize the thread as safe.
• Add the person to your Favorites list in the Phone or Contacts app.
• Turn off the filter temporarily by going to Settings > Apps > Messages > Filter Unknown Senders and switching it off. 

silver_mica wrote:

Blocking is the only way.

Be advised that Apple has changed the way blocking works. In the past, if you added too many items to the blocked list, the later ones wouldn't actually get blocked. So, Apple has instituted a limit. It seems to be 3000. If you try to block more numbers than that, you'll get a notification that you have to remove some.

Blocking spammers is a pointless exercise anyway. The numbers are spoofed and/or changed frequently. I get about 1 call a day from someone offering to help me resolve my tax issues. It's never the same number twice. I have my phone set to ask unknown callers why they're calling under Settings>Apps>Phone>Screen Unknown Callers. "Silence" is also an option.

silver_mica wrote:

IdrisSeabright wrote:

Be advised that Apple has changed the way blocking works. In the past, if you added too many items to the blocked list, the later ones wouldn't actually get blocked. So, Apple has instituted a limit. It seems to be 3000. If you try to block more numbers than that, you'll get a notification that you have to remove some.

I've recently replaced my iPhone 7 Plus with an iPhone 17 Pro Max. My old iPhone 7 Plus didn't appear to have this limit. I'm at ~4000 blocked callers at the moment. Yes, you are correct, I get a message on my iPhone 17 Pro Max stating that I cannot add another blocked number (whereas I did not with the iPhone 7 Plus) - yet, there's no reasonable way to delete my list of ~4000 blocked numbers. !@#@!!!!!

Okay, so, what did that $1,600 I spent on this iPhone 17 Pro Max get me exactly? There's no discernible speed difference between the iPhone 7 Plus and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

I get around 12 SPAM text message per day - that means my list grows about 4300 per year.

Blocking is the best method. Reverse blocking (only white-listed callers can reach you) would be the absolute best. This is extremely easy to implement and would truly stop SPAM.

Blocking is the only effective method. Too bad no one really understands this - sometimes the simple method is the absolute best.

As for Apple limiting our block list: It almost seems as if Apple wants us to receive SPAM.

Sorry, but Blocking is NOT the best option. Delete and report them as Spam is OK. But blocking is a total, utter waste of time. For a Spam Text message, on the list, swipe from right to left on it. Then tap the Red Trash Can, then Delete and Report Spam. You are totally wasting your time to actually block them.

silver_mica wrote:

I get around 12 SPAM text message per day - that means my list grows about 4300 per year.

Blocking is the best method.

I strongly disagree. I never block email senders, and I get maybe one spam email a month in my inbox. The rest are routed automatically to my spam folder. This requires no effort on my part.

Reverse blocking (only white-listed callers can reach you) would be the absolute best. This is extremely easy to implement and would truly stop SPAM.

Take a look at the email app Spark (Readdle). It has whitelisting capabilities. Note that it is not free.

Blocking is the only effective method. Too bad no one really understands this - sometimes the simple method is the absolute best.

So, a method where you have to take action on every spam email you get and were you still get 12 a day is better than using a spam filter where, once set up, you don't have to do anything and get almost no spam in your inbox? Ok.

silver_mica wrote:

Delete and reporting spam does nothing. Reverse blocking would work 100%, it's super easy to implement, and would literately solve the rampant SPAM problem world-wide. It really is that easy.

Explain, please? And how is Apple involved? Text messages don't come from Apple. They come from your carrier. If you think your carrier should be doing something different, you should tell them.

silver_mica wrote:

Delete and reporting spam does nothing. Reverse blocking would work 100%, it's super easy to implement, and would literately solve the rampant SPAM problem world-wide. It really is that easy.

I gave you a suggestion for an email app that will block everything until you approve it. I'm sure there are lots of others as well.

You might also take a look at Spam Sieve. It's a highly regarded spam filtering app. But, also not free.