Block annoying callers

We show you how in iOS

SKILL LEVEL

Anyone can do it

IT WILL TAKE

5 minutes

YOU’ll NEED

An iOS device

It’s fairly common to get calls or messages that we’d rather not receive, whether it’s insurance salespeople, promotional texts, scammers, spammers or, in some cases, individuals we want to stop pestering us.

If it all gets too much, you shouldn’t have to change your number to avoid nuisance calls and texts – and with iOS, you don’t. Apple has included an easy way to block people from phoning, calling you over FaceTime or sending texts or iMessages. You can block numbers you don’t recognise, or block a contact. The former is useful if you’re just getting nuisance sales calls from one company, say, while the latter enables you to block multiple routes of contact from a person at once.

Blocked phone callers are directed to your voicemail service if you have one (which means they can still annoy you somewhat, sadly), while blocked FaceTime calls simply ring forever on the caller’s end. An iMessage from a blocked caller displays to them as having been delivered, and texts appear to send too.

This won’t block people from contacting you through services such as Facebook, but it can make a big difference. Matt Bolton

An iMessage from a blocked caller displays to them as delivered, and texts appear to send