Getting bombarded by spam calls and texts is one of the most annoying parts of having a phone. The good news is your iPhone 17 Pro has powerful tools built right into iOS 26 to take back control. You can block specific numbers, silence all unknown callers, and filter out junk messages.
Block a Number from Your Recent Calls List
Open the Phone app and tap the Recents tab. Find the number you want to block and tap the small (i) info button next to it. Scroll down on the contact info screen and tap Block this Caller. Confirm by tapping Block Contact one more time.
That's all it takes. Once blocked, calls from that number will go straight to voicemail and their text messages won't appear in your Messages app.
Block Someone Directly from a Text Conversation
If the spam is coming via text, open the conversation in your Messages app. Tap the contact name or phone number at the very top of the screen. On the next screen, tap the (i) info button. Scroll down and you'll find the Block this Caller option. Tap it to confirm.
This is a quick way to stop harassing texts. The sender won't be notified they're blocked, and any future messages from them will be silently discarded.
Use the Silence Unknown Callers Feature
This is the nuclear option for stopping spam calls before they even ring. Go to Settings > Phone. Scroll down and tap Silence Unknown Callers. Toggle the switch on.
With this enabled, any call from a number not saved in your Contacts, Mail, or Messages will be automatically silenced. The call goes straight to voicemail and you'll get a notification about a missed call. I'd recommend this if you're getting a high volume of spam, but be aware it will also silence calls from businesses you haven't saved, like your pharmacy or a food delivery driver.
View and Unblock Numbers You've Blocked
Changed your mind or blocked someone by accident? You can manage your entire blocked list in one place. Go to Settings > Phone and tap Blocked Contacts.
You'll see a list of every number and contact you've blocked. To unblock someone, swipe left on their entry and tap Unblock. You can also tap Edit in the top right to remove multiple people at once.
Report and Block SMS Spam
When you get a junk text from a number you don't know, you can report it to help improve spam filters for everyone. Open the spam message. Below the message text, you should see an option that says Report Junk. Tap it.
You'll get a prompt asking if you want to delete the message and report the sender. This action also blocks the number, so you kill two birds with one stone. For further organization, you can enable Settings > Messages > Filter Unknown Senders to keep messages from unknown numbers in a separate tab.
What Actually Happens When You Block Someone
It's helpful to know what the other person experiences. When a blocked number calls you, their call will ring once on their end before being sent to your voicemail. They can leave a message, but it will be filed in a separate "Blocked Messages" section at the bottom of your voicemail list.
For texts and iMessages, it's a complete black hole. The messages never arrive on your iPhone 17 Pro, and the sender doesn't receive any kind of failed delivery notification. The same rules apply to FaceTime calls.
Block Unwanted Email Senders
If spam is coming through your Mail app, you can block email addresses too. Open an email from the sender you want to block. Tap the sender's name at the top of the email, then tap it again to bring up a menu. Select Block this Contact.
Future emails from that address will go directly to your Trash folder. You can review and edit your list of blocked email senders anytime in Settings > Mail > Blocked.
