As deception becomes increasingly pervasive, a growing number of individuals find themselves inundated with calls from unfamiliar numbers.
Sophie Buchan and Eilidh Farquhar, Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
10:50, 07 Jan 2026
A phone manufacturer has disclosed a little-known setting that can obstruct relentless spam calls.
A prominent smartphone manufacturer has provided crucial information on how residents of the UK can mitigate the incessant barrage of spam calls from swindlers. This overlooked setting promises to offer a respite from the incessant ringing of your phone.
Approximately once a month, numerous Britons receive unsolicited calls from unknown sources. Often, these calls originate from scammers aiming to pilfer personal data or financial resources, leaving many feeling exasperated as such interruptions disrupt both recreational activities and daily routines.
Fortunately, Apple has unveiled a method to effectively curtail spam callers, requiring merely a few taps to activate. This feature is not confined to devices operating on the latest iOS 26; it is available for any device running iOS 13 or higher.
To shield against incessant spam attempts, technology users can either download a reliable third-party spam filtering application or activate the built-in Silence Unknown Callers feature, according to reports from Wales Online. However, numerous users remain uncertain about how to utilise this function effectively.
For Apple devices running iOS 13 or later, users can enable a feature designed to obstruct calls from unfamiliar numbers. This functionality minimises the risk of falling prey to fraudulent schemes, as notifications from unknown numbers will no longer illuminate the screen of your device.
Regardless of age, whether young or elderly, cybercriminals will exploit any opportunity to abscond with personal and financial information. Thus, it is imperative to employ available protective measures to enhance security. Irrespective of age, fraudsters scrutinise everyone to pilfer personal data.
According to Apple Support UK, the Silence Unknown Callers feature will effectively block calls from numbers that are not saved in your contacts or have not been previously dialled.
However, Apple specifies: “If you’ve previously texted someone using their phone number or if a number has been shared with you via email, a call from that number will be permitted.”
Consequently, your phone will ring normally if an incoming call is from a saved contact, a recent caller, or is suggested by Siri through interactions found in your messages or emails.
Once activated, unknown calls will be silenced, diverted to voicemail, and recorded in your recent calls log. iPhone users will not experience an alert sound when these calls occur.
Additionally, Apple indicates: “After making an emergency call, Silence Unknown Callers will be temporarily disabled for 24 hours to ensure your iPhone remains reachable.”
Before activating this blocking feature, Apple advises users to ensure that all essential numbers are saved within their contacts. Failure to do so may result in missed important calls.
How to Activate Silence Unknown Callers
- Navigate to Settings > Apps > Phone
- Scroll to the Calls section
- Select Silence, Unknown Callers
- Toggle the feature to “on”
How to Download a Spam Call Detection Application
- Visit the App Store to obtain an application that identifies and blocks spam calls. Multiple apps from various developers can be downloaded and installed.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Phone.
- Select Call Blocking & Identification.
- Under Call Identification Apps, activate or deactivate the app as desired. You can also reorder apps by priority; simply tap Edit and rearrange them accordingly.
Upon downloading such third-party applications, your device will compare incoming call numbers against databases of known spam numbers utilised by these apps. If a match is found, iOS will label the call as “spam” or “telemarketing,” aligned with the app’s settings.
For those seeking an uncomplicated approach, anyone noticing a call from a recognised fraudster may choose to block the number manually, thus preventing future contact.
Source link: Dailyrecord.co.uk.
