One of the most useful new features in iOS 7 is the ability to block phone calls, FaceTime calls, and text messages by blocking any phone number.
Whether you've got a stalker, a crazy ex, a harassing bill collector, or just too many telemarketers, this new feature makes it easy to block them at the source, sending them straight to voicemail without your phone making a peep (though they may still hear a ring or two while connecting to your phone).
The new privacy option is simple to access, but there are a couple different ways to go about it, depending on if they're in your contacts list or not.
Method 1: Block Someone in Your Contacts List
If your harasser is already in your contacts (perhaps under the name "Never Answer, Ever, Ever"), you can easily block them using the phone settings.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Scroll down and navigate to Phone -> Blocked -> Add New....
- Search for and tap on the contact you'd like to block from your contacts.
That's it! If that person ever tries to call you again, they'll get sent straight to voicemail without your phone so much as waking from sleep. Just be aware that they might still hear a ring or two on their end while your carrier connects them to your iPhone.
If they try to FaceTime you, it will just ring indefinitely on their end, without your phone making a sound.
Method 2: Block a Number That Has Recently Called You
If someone has recently called you, like a telemarketer or a bill collector, chances are they're not in your contacts list. Not to worry, it's actually even easier to block a number from your recent calls list.
- Launch the Phone app and select the Recents tab to see all your recent calls.
- Tap the little blue (i) to the right of the caller you'd like to block.
- Scroll down and tap Block this Caller.
That's it! If the telemarketer tries to call you again, they'll be greeted with your voicemail (hopefully triggering their auto-dialer to hang up instead of leaving you a dead-air voicemail).
Method 3: Block a Number That Hasn't Called You and Isn't a Contact
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to type in a number to block, however you can easily create a new contact called "Blocked", and add any other numbers you'd like to block to it (contacts can have unlimited phone numbers).
Once done, just follow Method 1 above to block that contact, and you'll never hear from any of those phone numbers again.
You're Done!
Now those annoying phone calls from telemarketers, spammers and your parents are a thing of the past.
More iOS 7 Tips!
There's a lot to learn about the new iOS 7 for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, so make sure to visit our iOS 7 tips section to explore all of the new features and hidden tricks. Also make sure to check out the 15 most annoying things, 18 coolest new features, and 18 sneaky privacy-betraying settings in iOS 7 that every iPhone user should know about.
Just updated your iPhone? You'll find new features for TV, Messages, News, and Shortcuts, as well as important bug fixes and security patches. Find out what's new and changed on your iPhone with the iOS 17.6 update.
10 Comments
I am loving iOS 7 great work by Apple
This is such a useful feature! But I wonder what would happen if the number was unblocked after being blocked. Would all of the unreceived texts sent by the person come flooding in?
I think it's great that a text terrorist can be texting away and you never see a text from them.
So I can't get the phone to give me he option I block people directly From their contact. Restoring didn't help. Any suggestions to fix this?
iPhone should make something so that you can't accidentally dial a certain #. So that if they are one of those list of people you don't want to talk to your phone doesn't ever dial that #. Say you have an ex and you accidentally hit the person or you are drunk and are drunk dialing an ex your phone goes into DRUNK MODE!
I love these directions. Now I don't have to hear from toxic relatives I've written out of my life.
There is a difference between goodbye and letting go. Goodbye is I'll see you again when I'm ready to hold your hand, and when you're ready to hold mine. letting go is 'I'll miss your hand. I realised its not mine to hold, and I will never hold it again... - Jamie Leah
I only recently upgraded to iOS 7.1.2 and I loved this feature when I first discovered it. Sadly, my delight turned to disgust as this is not a real block. The only blocking "effect" is that your phone won't ring and you don't see their calls coming in and it does not register on your recent calls list. The blocked call is just immediately redirected to your voice mail where undesired callers can still leave you a voice message so in essence, you still have to do something with the call/message even if it is to delete it without listening to it, but if you don't listen to the message, you don't know who called you because the blocking feature prevents you from seeing that particular callers number. This feature is not useful to me, just annoying as much as the unwanted calls it kinda/sorta blocks.
After finishing with Method 3, you can delete that pesky number from your contacts, so it won't clog up the contact list - it still remains blocked.
Please, I blocked a contact from being able to contact me but I did not expect old texts to get deleted. I really needed these. I tried to unblock to see if they would show up but they didn't. Please, is there a way to get these old texts back. Thank you.
All great information there is a big need now for this Info. Thank you. Why did you say that about parents? It is assumed now that parents are a big pain? The attitude now is parents are disposable just because you don't need their money? I think this attitude is destructive in many ways for lots of people.
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