Unsolicited phone calls can become a regular annoyance and even a cause of stress for many smartphone users these days. Thankfully, Apple provides a feature in iOS that can automatically silence calls to your phone from unknown numbers, which should help cut down on the number of spam calls that you receive.

silenceunknowncallers
Whether it's messages from a debt collector looking for the wrong person, or a random number that keeps calling in the middle of the night, following the steps below will help to stop them from bothering you.

How to Silence Unknown Callers on iPhone

  1. Launch the Settings app on your device
  2. Scroll down and tap Phone.
  3. Scroll down to the section titled Call Silencing and Blocked Contacts.
  4. Tap the Silence Unknown Callers switch to toggle it to the green ON position.

silence unknown callers

With Silence Unknown Callers toggled on, people who call you that aren't listed in your contacts will have their calls sent straight to voice mail and your phone won't ring.

Did you know that you can block nuisance messages as well as calls on your iPhone? Click here to learn how it's done.

Top Rated Comments

JM Avatar
67 months ago
FINALLY!

Now the FTC and carriers and drag their butts all they want. Now anyone who calls (who I haven’t added to my contacts) will go straight to voicemail. If it’s important they’ll leave a VM.

This will cut down on spam calls since no one with an iPhone will pick up. They’ll get idea soon enough, and leave us alone.

So so happy.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EdT Avatar
67 months ago
Once again, Apple only goes part way. I don’t want the call to go to my voicemail I want the spammers phone to instantly turn into a molten slag.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Braderunner Avatar
67 months ago
I just guess that 90% are legitimate calls and wonder who actually activates this feature. That counts even more in the business environment. Sending the calls to the mailbox won’t stop the caller to try again till his goal is reached. But well, I guess to have the option is a good thing.
Obviously, you wouldn't want to do this with a business phone number. But, most people just have a personal number. I think a lot of people, including myself, will use this feature. If it is someone you don't know, calling you for a legitimate reason, they'll leave a message. I can't wait for this!
Also, I can tell you that at least 90% of unknown numbers that ring my phone...are not legitimate calls.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NoBoMac Avatar
67 months ago
Did I miss something? You've been able to do this for quite a while by getting/setting the default ringtone to silence, with the custom ringtone for contacts set as usual.
True, and I do this. Along with blocking apps. All been mostly effective.

However, still a nuisance where you are listening to music and suddenly, nothing. Yes, I know then that it's a spam call, but, still intruding. With this new feature, no intrusions. And won't have to make sure "important" contacts get a real ringtone.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macslayer118 Avatar
67 months ago
Did I miss something? You've been able to do this for quite a while by getting/setting the default ringtone to silence, with the custom ringtone for contacts set as usual.
This feature is amazing. What you're describing feels like a tedious work around to a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place. To have to manually set a custom ringtone for every contact?? It seems like you would welcome the chance to just press a toggle to ignore unwanted calls.
[doublepost=1560458482][/doublepost]
I just guess that 90% are legitimate calls and wonder who actually activates this feature. That counts even more in the business environment. Sending the calls to the mailbox won’t stop the caller to try again till his goal is reached. But well, I guess to have the option is a good thing.
I get between 10-15 calls a day from numbers I don't know who don't leave messages. Blocking doesn't work because they spoof their numbers. This has been an amazing week with this feature. I'd guess over 90% of my calls are spam callers.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rodpascoe Avatar
67 months ago
Love this feature but have found a small bug.

Had a marketing company call me and it did the job, no ring, straight to voicemail.

Only problem was they didn’t leave a voicemail so my carrier in the UK (O2) sent a text saying I’d missed a call from them.

They called again the next day and because I’d had a text message containing their number the feature let them through as is documented (intelligent Siri I think they called it - looks through mails and SMS for numbers and whitelists any it finds)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
maxresdefault

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. New 'Slim'...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...