You can block calls, texts, and FaceTime from a specific contact in three places on your iPhone

The fastest way is to open the Phone, Messages, or FaceTime app, find the person's name or number, swipe left on it, and tap the red trash icon, then tap "Block this Caller" or "Block this Contact." A blocked person can still call or text you, but you won't see or hear it — the message goes nowhere, and their call goes straight to voicemail without ringing your phone.

You can also block someone through the Contacts app by opening their card, scrolling to the bottom, and tapping "Block this Caller." Or go to Settings > Phone (or Messages, or FaceTime) > Blocked Contacts and tap "Add New" to type in a number or name you want to block without having a contact card for them.

Blocking is one-way: the person doesn't get a notification that you blocked them, but they may figure it out if their calls always go to voicemail and their texts never get a read receipt. If you change your mind, you can unblock them the same way — swipe left and tap "Unblock," or go back to Settings and remove them from the blocked list.

Key Takeaways

  • Swipe left on a contact in Phone, Messages, or FaceTime and tap the trash icon to block them in seconds.
  • A blocked person's calls go straight to voicemail and their texts disappear — you see nothing on your phone.
  • You can also block someone by opening their Contacts card and scrolling to "Block this Caller" at the bottom.
  • Blocked contacts are not notified, but they may realize it if calls always go to voicemail and messages never show as delivered.
  • Unblocking works the same way: swipe left and tap "Unblock," or remove them from Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts.

Blocking through the Phone app for calls and voicemail

Open the Phone app and go to the Recents tab (the clock icon at the bottom). Find the person's name or number in the list, swipe left on it, and a red trash icon appears. Tap it, then tap "Block this Caller" in the menu that pops up. That person's calls will now go straight to voicemail without your phone ringing.

If you want to block someone who isn't in your recent calls, open your Contacts app, find their name, tap it to open their card, scroll all the way to the bottom, and tap "Block this Caller." You can also go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, tap "Add New," and type in a phone number or contact name to block them without needing a recent call or text from them.

Blocking through Messages for text and iMessage

Open the Messages app and find the conversation with the person you want to block. Swipe left on their name or number, tap the trash icon, and then tap "Block this Contact" in the menu. Their future texts and iMessages won't reach you, and you won't see any messages from them in the app.

If you want to block someone before they text you, open Contacts, find their name, tap their card, scroll to the bottom, and tap "Block this Caller." This blocks them across Phone, Messages, and FaceTime all at once, so you won't hear from them through any of those apps.

Blocking through FaceTime for video and audio calls

Open FaceTime and find the person in your recent calls or contacts. Swipe left on their name, tap the trash icon, and then tap "Block this Caller." They won't be able to reach you through FaceTime, and you won't see any incoming FaceTime requests from them.

You can also block someone for FaceTime only by going to Settings > FaceTime > Blocked Contacts and tapping "Add New." This is useful if you want to block their FaceTime calls but still receive their regular phone calls or texts.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a contact, their calls go straight to voicemail, their texts and iMessages don't appear in your Messages app, and their FaceTime requests don't ring through. From their side, they see the call or message go through normally — they don't get an error message or a notification that you blocked them. They may eventually realize it if every call goes to voicemail or if messages never show as delivered, but there's no official "you've been blocked" alert.

Blocked contacts can still leave voicemails, but you won't get a notification about them. Their voicemails appear in a separate section in the Phone app labeled "Blocked Messages" so you can listen to them if you want to, but you don't have to.

Unblocking someone and managing your blocked list

To unblock someone, open the Phone, Messages, or FaceTime app, find their name or number, swipe left, and tap "Unblock." Or go to Settings, choose Phone (or Messages or FaceTime), tap Blocked Contacts, swipe left on the person's name, and tap "Unblock."

You can see your full blocked list by going to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts (or the same path in Messages or FaceTime). This shows everyone you've blocked in that app. If you blocked someone through Contacts, they're blocked across all three apps, so you only need to unblock them once — but you can unblock them in any of the three apps and it removes them from all of them.

Blocking a number you don't have saved as a contact

If someone calls or texts you from a number that isn't in your contacts, you can still block them. In the Phone app, go to Recents, find the number, swipe left, and tap "Block this Caller." In Messages, find the conversation, swipe left, and tap "Block this Contact." You don't need to save their number first.

You can also block an unknown number by going to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, tapping "Add New," and typing in the number. This is useful if you keep getting calls from a number you don't recognize and you want to stop them before they call again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I blocked them?

They don't get a notification, but they may figure it out if their calls always go to voicemail and their texts never show as delivered. There's no official way for them to know for certain from their phone.

Can a blocked person still leave me voicemails?

Yes. Their voicemails go to a separate "Blocked Messages" section in your Phone app. You can listen to them if you want, but you won't get a notification when they arrive.

If I block someone in Messages, are they also blocked in Phone and FaceTime?

It depends how you blocked them. If you blocked them through their Contacts card, they're blocked everywhere. If you only swiped left in Messages, they're blocked only in Messages — they can still call or FaceTime you.

What if I blocked someone by accident?

Go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts (or Messages or FaceTime), find their name, swipe left, and tap "Unblock." They'll be able to reach you again immediately.

Can I block a number without saving it to my contacts first?

Yes. Go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, tap "Add New," and type in the phone number. You don't need a contact card for them.