iOS 26's new call screening features are impressive when they work. The problem? Many users are finding their "Screen Unknown Callers" option either grayed out or completely ineffective. After testing this across multiple devices, the culprit is almost always a mismatch between language and region settings.
The core issue: You can't run English language with a non-English region (or vice versa) and expect call screening to function properly. iOS 26's enhanced call screening relies on regional carrier integration and language processing that need to align.
The Simple Fix
Head to Settings > General > Language & Region and make sure your settings actually match:
Option 1 - Go Full English:
• Set iPhone Language to "English"
• Change Region to "United States" (or another English-speaking region)
• Restart your phone
Option 2 - Match Your Actual Location:
• Keep your correct region
• Change iPhone Language to match that region's primary language
• Restart your phone
In practice, most people running English language should switch their region to match. If you're in Germany but have English set as your language, iOS gets confused about which carrier protocols and spam databases to use.
Why This Happens
Call screening in iOS 26 isn't just about blocking numbers anymore. It actively communicates with regional carrier systems and uses location-specific spam databases. When your language says "English" but your region says "France," the system can't determine which protocols to follow.
After changing these settings, give it 24 hours. The call screening feature needs time to sync with the correct regional databases. You'll know it's working when unknown callers start getting properly filtered and the "Screen Unknown Callers" toggle becomes consistently available in your settings.
Navigate to Settings > Apps > Phone> Screen Unknown Callers and make sure you select 'Ask Reason for Calling' .
Bottom line: This isn't a bug, it's iOS being overly strict about regional consistency. Five minutes in settings fixes what feels like a major iOS malfunction.
