How to block annoying texts with a few taps on your iPhone

Apple hasn’t yet provided an easy way to flag, block, and delete unwanted incoming text messages. They also don’t identify texts for patterns – like the Mail app and iCloud.com do to flag commercial and fraudulent emails – to see if they look like something that should go straight into the bit bucket. Here are a few things you can do to block annoying texts on your iPhone.

Use SMS filters

You can install third-party SMS filters, an option that Apple allowed starting in 2017. These filters do see the content of your text messages, which is a privacy risk, but one that the companies involved have detailed policies about and for which they would be liable if your messages were breached. I wrote about how to use these filters in 2017and the process remains identical today (although in iOS 18, configuration is handled via Institutions > Apps > To inform > Unknown and spam).

To find apps that offer SMS filtering, go to the iOS App Store and search for “SMS Filter.” The App Store does not have a specific category for this task.

Foundry

Due to Apple’s end-to-end encryption and privacy intent for iMessage, Apple does not offer third-party filtering for that category of messages. However, because all iMessage posts require validated Apple ID accounts, you can reliably block the source of an iMessage. They can’t just generate endless iMessage accounts, unlike the possibility of creating fake phone numbers for text messages.

Develop a manual reflex

I’ve developed a quick set of actions to block unwanted text that I would like to create a shortcut in iOS, but apparently requires too many elements not available in Shortcuts.

When I receive an unauthorized text message, or a text message from a genuine source that I did not consent to, I do the following:

Tap the conversation to view the message.
Tap the profile link at the top.
Tap the Info knob.
Crane Block caller.
Tap the back button in the top left corner (<).
Crane Hide warnings.
Tap the back button again to go to the top level of Messages.
Swipe left on the conversation and tap Delete conversation trash icon.

What this does is:

Blocks further calls or texts, which has become more reliable since the FCC tightened the rules for validating phone numbers in caller ID a few years ago.
Prevents notifications if that block is somehow bypassed.
Removes the conversation from your line of sight, reducing clutter in Messages.

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