Block a contact directly from your contacts list

The fastest way to block someone on iPhone is through the Contacts app. Open Contacts, find the person you want to block, tap their name to open their card, scroll to the bottom, and tap Block this Caller. Confirm by tapping Block Contact in the popup that appears. That person can no longer call, text, or FaceTime you — their messages go to a separate folder and their calls go straight to voicemail.

If you cannot find the person in your contacts, you can still block them. Go to the Phone app, tap Recents, find their number or name in the list, swipe left on it, and tap the trash icon, then Block this Caller. The same process works in the Messages app — swipe left on a conversation and tap Block.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block someone from the Contacts app by opening their card, scrolling down, and tapping Block this Caller.
  • Blocked contacts cannot reach you by phone, text, or FaceTime, and their messages move to a separate Blocked folder.
  • You can unblock someone at any time by going to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts and swiping left on their name.
  • Blocking someone does not delete their contact information — it only prevents them from contacting you.
  • If you block someone before they text you, their future messages will not appear in your inbox at all.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a contact on iPhone, several things change immediately. Calls from that person go straight to voicemail without your phone ringing. Text messages from them land in a separate Blocked folder inside the Messages app instead of your main inbox. FaceTime calls are also blocked. The blocked person does not receive a notification that they have been blocked, but they may figure it out if their calls always go to voicemail and their texts never get read receipts.

The blocked contact remains in your Contacts app — blocking does not delete them. You can still see their information if you search for them. This is useful if you change your mind later and want to unblock them without having to re-enter their phone number or email address.

Unblock a contact if you change your mind

To unblock someone, go to Settings on your home screen, tap Phone, then scroll down and tap Blocked Contacts. You will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Swipe left on the person's name and tap Unblock, or tap Edit in the top left corner and tap the red minus sign next to their name.

Once you unblock someone, they can call and text you normally again. Any messages they sent while blocked will still be in the Blocked folder, but new messages will appear in your main inbox. You do not need to do anything else — unblocking is immediate.

Block someone from a FaceTime call

If someone calls you on FaceTime and you want to block them, tap Decline to end the call, then tap Block this Caller when the option appears. You can also block them after the call ends by opening the FaceTime app, finding their name in your recent calls, swiping left, and tapping Block this Caller.

Blocking someone from FaceTime blocks them across all contact methods — phone calls, texts, and FaceTime all stop working. You do not need to block them separately in each app.

Block an unknown number or email address

If you receive a call or text from a number not in your contacts, you can still block it. In the Phone app, tap Recents, find the number, swipe left, and tap Block this Caller. In Messages, swipe left on the conversation and tap Block. You do not need to add them to your contacts first.

You can also block email addresses on iPhone. Open the Mail app, find an email from the person you want to block, swipe left on it, tap the trash icon, then tap Block this Contact. Emails from that address will go to your junk folder automatically.

Check your blocked list and manage it

To see everyone you have blocked, go to Settings, tap Phone, and scroll down to Blocked Contacts. This list shows all the phone numbers and contacts you have blocked through the Phone app. To see blocked email addresses, go to Settings, tap Mail, scroll down to Blocked, and tap Blocked Senders.

You can block up to a few hundred contacts on most iPhones before running into limits, though this is rarely a practical concern. If you want to unblock multiple people at once, tap Edit in the Blocked Contacts list and tap the red minus sign next to each name, or tap Unblock All if that option appears on your iOS version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the blocked person know they are blocked?

No notification is sent, but they may suspect it if their calls always go to voicemail and their texts never show as delivered. There is no way for them to know for certain from their phone that you have blocked them.

Can a blocked person still leave me a voicemail?

Yes. Their calls go to voicemail, and they can leave a message, but you will not receive a notification about it. The voicemail will be in your voicemail inbox, not in a separate blocked folder.

What if I block someone by accident?

Go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, find their name, swipe left, and tap Unblock. They can contact you normally again immediately. Your contact information for them is not deleted.

Can I block someone who is not in my contacts?

Yes. In the Phone app, go to Recents, swipe left on the number, and tap Block this Caller. You do not need to add them to your contacts first.

Do blocked messages get deleted?

No. Messages from blocked contacts go to a separate Blocked folder in the Messages app. You can read them anytime by opening Messages and scrolling to the Blocked section, or you can delete them manually.