iOS 13.3 Includes Improvements to Minimize Junk Messages

"Ask the person that you're trying to message to send you a message to start the conversation."

How is that any different than you sending them a message to start the conversation?

Every junk message I get appears in Unknown Senders. TBH it's a worthless feature.

I wish mine did!

I have an Ohio area code, even though I now live in SoCal (I've had the number for >20 years, through four states), and I get a ridiculous number of spam texts from political candidates, organizations, and pollsters.

None of them go to my “unknown senders” section. I can’t block all calls and texts from non-contacts, so I’m stuck with them for now.

You will have to call, email or talk to the person in person to ask them to add you. Might as well just not know them anymore. Just kidding.

this is great and all but what about regular sms. There needs to be something similar to block or send to junk any messages from “unknown” numbers like the calls

There is a way to filter such messages: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/filter-and-block-messages-iph203ab0be4/ios

"Ask the person that you're trying to message to send you a message to start the conversation."

How is that any different than you sending them a message to start the conversation?

Heard of phone calls? Or emails? Or speaking?

Ask them to add you to your contacts? What is this? 1950?

Whitelist your contacts. What a novel idea.

Ask them to add you to your contacts? What is this? 1950?

No, it’s 2019, a time in which spam calls/texts/emails are rampant and people use their contact lists to whitelist people they want to get past the filters. What year are you living in?

This isn't rocket science guys. It is telling you that a new message will be displayed in your outgoing text thread, (like a read receipt), that it was delivered as junk. Meaning: someone that you are trying to text has incoming messages from unknown contacts blocked. They are suggesting that you ask them to put you in their contacts, or they begin the thread so that you can text converse going forward.
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"Ask the person that you're trying to message to send you a message to start the conversation."

How is that any different than you sending them a message to start the conversation?

You may not have unknown contacts blocked, or may already have that person in your contacts.

Huh? I've never seen this before. Never. So the sender is actually notified if the receiver's phone rates the incoming message as Junk? Is this an iOS 13.x feature?

You wouldn't have see it before because its new to iOS 13.3.

iOS 13.3 Includes Improvements to Minimize Junk Messages

"In a new support document ('https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210756'), Apple has indicated that iOS 13.3 includes improvements to further minimize junk messages in the Messages app."

Have a read of the support document referenced for more clarity regarding this "feature".

Heard of phone calls? Or emails? Or speaking?

When do you think this is? 2010? Nobody "speaks" anymore, grandpa. You must be real old, like 30 or something. ;)