Easy methods to block undesirable message senders and callers in Messages

If you obtain undesirable calls to your cellphone quantity on an iPhone, texts or iMessages within the Messages app, or undesirable incoming calls in FaceTime, you possibly can block them by cellphone quantity or e-mail deal with. Any quantity or deal with you add to a block record through FaceTime, Messages, or Phone serves as a block throughout all three apps and related providers.

A cellphone quantity is blocked for incoming cellphone calls and incoming textual content messages. If the cellphone quantity can also be related to an iCloud account, that individual can’t ship you an iMessage or provoke a FaceTime name, both. An e-mail deal with have to be related to an iCloud account to dam that individual—they gained’t be capable to ship an iMessage or begin a FaceTime name.

In Messages, block a quantity or e-mail deal with like this:

• In iOS/iPadOS, faucet a dialog, faucet the icon on the high of the message historical past, faucet Info, and faucet Block This Caller.
• In macOS, choose a dialog after which select Conversations > Block Person. Confirm by clicking Block.

In FaceTime, you possibly can solely block numbers or addresses in iOS/iPadOS utilizing current calls: Tap the i information button to the fitting of an individual’s identify or cellphone quantity within the recents record and faucet “Block this Caller” on the backside of the following display.

In the Phone app on an iPhone within the Recents record, faucet the i information icon to the fitting of an entry after which faucet “Block this Caller” on the backside, as in FaceTime.

You can add take away or add cellphone numbers and e-mail addresses manually in a number of locations:

• In iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > FaceTime > Blocked Contacts; or Settings > Messages > Block Contacts; or Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts. Swipe to the record’s backside and faucet Add New to enter a quantity or deal with to dam. Swipe left on an entry and faucet Unblock to take away it, or faucet Edit within the upper-left nook for bulk enhancing.
• In macOS, go to Messages > Preferences > iMessage > Blocked or go to FaceTime > Preferences Blocked. You can click on the + plus icon so as to add entries or choose an entry and click on the – minus icon to take away them.

This Mac 911 article is in response to a query submitted by Macworld reader Nick.

Ask Mac 911

We’ve compiled an inventory of the questions we get requested most steadily, together with solutions and hyperlinks to columns: learn our tremendous FAQ to see in case your query is roofed. If not, we’re all the time on the lookout for new issues to unravel! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com, together with display captures as acceptable and whether or not you need your full identify used. Not each query might be answered, we don’t reply to e-mail, and we can’t present direct troubleshooting recommendation.