How to silence unknown callers on iPhone
Go to Settings > Apps > Phone and turn on Silence Unknown Callers. Numbers that aren't in your contacts go straight to voicemail. Contacts still ring.
- iPhone
- Easy · 1 min
- iPhone on iOS 18 and iOS 26
- Cheat sheet
How to do it
Open Settings > Apps > Phone.
Turn on Unknown Callers. If the row says Silence Unknown Callers, that is the same switch.
Call yourself from a number that is not a contact, if you want to see it go to voicemail.
People in your contacts, and numbers you have recently dialed, still ring. A school, a clinic, or a delivery driver will not, unless you add them.
Turn it off on a day you are expecting a call from a number you have not saved. The recent-calls list still shows what you missed.
Questions people ask
Will I miss calls from a doctor or a delivery driver?
They go to voicemail unless they're in your contacts or you called them recently. Turn it off on days you expect a call from a new number.
Do silenced calls show up anywhere?
Yes, in Recents, along with any voicemail they leave.
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