Spam messages usually come from a spammer’s getting hold of your cell number, often via data leaks, the sale of personal data, or even simply by random number generation. However, the spammers who got your number spam texts are at best an annoyance, and at worst a downright security risk. It almost goes almost without saying that you should take your data and information security quite seriously, and never tap on any links in suspect messages or deliver any data that they request.
But how can you stop spam text messages on your iPhone? You can block each sender’s number individually, of course, but the spammer can then just as easily send a text from another number straight away. So what if there were a way to simply filter spam messages on iPhone so you never had to see them?
Enabling a simple message filtering system on your iPhone can effectively stop you from seeing annoying spam messages altogether while ensuring you still have control over what happens to them. It’s yet another handy feature that makes the iPhone one of the best phones you can buy.
How to stop spam texts on iPhone with Message Filtering
- Go to Settings, then Messages
- Toggle on Filter Unknown Senders
- Switch between known and unknown senders in Messages
- Disable notifications from unknown senders
Read on to see detailed instructions for each step.
1. Go to settings, then scroll down and tap Messages.
2. Scroll down to Message Filtering and tap the Filter Unknown Senders toggle to the on position.
3. Now, open the Messages app. You’ll be presented with which messages you’d like to see. Select Known Senders to only see messages from contacts.
Select Unknown Senders to see messages from unknown numbers — this will also include messages from companies, including banks, so ensure you check this section if you’re expecting an important SMS message (like a verification code). Select All Messages to see everything.
4. The final step is to disable notifications from unknown senders. This way you won’t be pestered by the notifications appearing on your lock or home screen. Open Settings, then tap Notifications. Scroll down and tap Messages. Hit Customize Notifications and under Allow Notifications heading, toggle the Unknown Senders switch to off.
There you have it: you can now filter spam messages from the messages you receive from contacts. This is super useful for keeping your messages inbox decluttered and ensuring you’ll never accidentally click on a spam message. If you want to block particular spammers from the Unknown Senders box, we have a guide for how to block spam calls on your iPhone, too.