Phone, Messages, and FaceTime
Blocked Contacts
Most people call this the list of people who cannot reach you.
A blocked number cannot call, message or FaceTime you, and the same list applies across Phone, Messages and FaceTime.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 18 and later
- Settings
- Apps
- Phone
- Blocked Contacts
What it does
Blocked calls go to voicemail, though you will not be notified. Blocked messages are never delivered. The sender is not told they have been blocked.
What changes
When it is on
That number cannot reach you by call, message or FaceTime.
When it is off
They can contact you normally.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Stops one specific person completely.
- Works across all three apps at once.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Blocked voicemails still accumulate silently.
- Someone determined can simply use another number.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Empty.
Where this setting used to live
Apple moves settings between releases. This is every location we have on file.
-
iOS 18 and later
Settings > Apps > Phone > Blocked Contacts
-
iOS 13 to iOS 17
Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts
Questions people actually ask
- Does someone know I blocked them?
- They are not told. Their calls go to voicemail and their messages are never delivered.
If it is not working
- The same list is reachable from Phone, Messages and FaceTime settings.
- Blocked voicemails collect in a separate section of Voicemail.
- Blocking does not stop email or third party messaging apps.