To reduce unwanted texts on iPhone, check Messages’ built-in spam filtering, turn on unknown-sender screening if useful, and report or block persistent senders. These controls do different jobs. Filtering sorts messages; reporting and blocking are separate actions.
Apple says built-in Filter Spam is on by default in iOS 26 and later. The steps below follow Apple’s current guide. On iOS 18, go to Settings › Apps › Messages › Message Filtering › Filter Unknown Senders. On older versions, Messages may appear directly in Settings.
1. Know which action you want
- Filter spam: move suspected spam out of your main conversation list.
- Screen unknown senders: separate messages from unfamiliar senders, which may include legitimate businesses or people.
- Report spam: send a report when the option is available. Reporting does not automatically block the sender.
- Block a sender: stop messages from that specific number or contact. This does not stop a sender who switches numbers.
2. Check the built-in spam filter
On iOS 26 and later, Apple’s Filter Spam feature is enabled by default. Open Messages › Filter › Spam to review what it has moved out of your inbox.
If you find a wanted message, select it, tap Not Spam, then move it back to your inbox. Filtering can make mistakes, so check this list if a message you expect does not arrive.
3. Screen unknown senders
For broader sorting, open Messages › Filter › Manage Filtering and turn on Screen Unknown Senders. Review Allow Notifications so useful codes or other time-sensitive messages can still notify you. In the US, Apple provides notification categories you can adjust.
This separates unfamiliar senders, not just confirmed spam. A first message from a delivery service or a new contact may be legitimate. Check the Unknown Senders list and mark wanted conversations as known.
On iOS 18, the corresponding setting is Filter Unknown Senders under Settings › Apps › Messages › Message Filtering.
4. Enable a text-filtering app if you need one
If you install an app with a text-filtering extension, follow the app’s setup and then open Messages › Filter › Manage Filtering › Text Message Filter. Choose the installed filter you want to use.
Shesek’s Robocall Blocker – Roblock offers SMS filtering alongside its call features. Enabling call blocking does not also enable message filtering; each extension needs its own setup.
Roblock filters SMS messages. Apple’s settings also support other types of text-filtering extensions, but an app’s capabilities depend on the filter you install.
Third-party text filters do not filter iMessage or messages from your contacts. Apple also says filtering stops applying after you have replied to a sender three times or more.
5. Report spam—and block separately if needed
Use Report Spam when Messages offers it, then follow the delete-and-report prompt. On iOS 18, this may be labeled Report Junk. Apple says you cannot report a message after replying to it.
Reporting an iMessage sends a report to Apple. Reporting SMS, MMS, or RCS depends on your carrier and region. A report by itself does not block future messages.
To block a persistent sender, open the conversation’s contact details and choose the block option. Be sure it is not a sender you need: blocking a number can affect calls as well as messages from that number.
6. Look in filtered lists before assuming a text is missing
If you are waiting for a verification code or a first message from someone new, check both Spam and Unknown Senders. For a wanted conversation in Unknown Senders, use Mark as Known. For a message wrongly classified as spam, use Not Spam and return it to your inbox.
Review notification allowances and save important contacts.
Common questions
Does reporting spam block the number?
No. Reporting and blocking are separate. Use the block option in the sender’s contact details if you also want to block that number.
Why did a legitimate text go to Unknown Senders?
Unknown does not mean spam. The sender may simply be unfamiliar to your phone. Review the conversation and mark it as known if appropriate.
Can a third-party SMS filter read and filter my iMessages?
Apple’s third-party message-filtering framework does not filter iMessage or messages from people in Contacts. Check a filtering app’s privacy policy for the data it uses for its supported services.
Call and SMS filtering in one app.
Learn what Roblock supports and how to enable its separate extensions.
Meet RoblockFor unwanted calls, read how to reduce spam calls on iPhone.