Receiving calls from unknown numbers can be frustrating – often, they end up being telemarketers or harassers that won’t stop bothering you. The iPhone has built-in features that can help you block such callers. If you have an iPhone with iOS 13 or above, you can use a feature called Silence Unknown Callers.
If you’re running iOS 12 or below, you can use the Do Not Disturb feature to silence notifications from people that aren’t included in your contacts list. We’ll also show you other workarounds on all iPhone versions in this guide.
Block No Caller ID using Silence Unknown Callers feature
Enabling Silence Unknown Callers will silence any call you receive from an unknown number (not just No Caller ID numbers) and send it to voicemail. Your iPhone won’t ring when you get a call, but you can see it in your call logs, and the voicemail will appear as a message notification.
Note: Once you’ve enabled this feature, all calls except the ones you receive from people in your contacts list, recent outgoing calls, and Siri Suggestions will be silenced.
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Tap Settings.
Tap Settings. -
Scroll down and tap Phone.
Tap Phone. -
Tap Silence Unknown Callers. It is disabled by default.
Tap Silence Unknown Callers. -
Tap the toggle next to Silence Unknown Callers to enable it.
Enable Silence Unknown Callers.
Block No Caller ID by enabling Do Not Disturb
The Do Not Disturb feature was introduced in iOS 6 and allows you to silence specific notifications.
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Tap Settings.
Tap Settings. -
Tap Focus.
Tap Focus. -
In the Focus menu, tap Do Not Disturb.
Tap Do Not Disturb. -
Tap the toggle next to “Do Not Disturb” to enable it.
Enable Do Not Disturb mode. -
Under the “Allowed Notifications” section, tap People.
Tap People. -
In the “Also Allow” section, tap Calls From.
Tap Calls From. -
Tap All Contacts.
Tap All Contacts. Now, whenever you have Do Not Disturb mode turned on, calls you get from someone not in your contacts list will be silenced and sent to voicemail.
Block No Caller ID by creating a new contact
This method works on all iOS devices and blocks any call that appears as “No Caller ID” or “Do Not Answer” on your iPhone.
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Tap Phone.
Tap Phone. -
In the “Contacts” section, tap the + icon in the top-right to create a new contact.
Tap the + icon. -
Type “No Caller ID” or “Do Not Answer” in the “First Name” field.
Enter “No Caller ID” as the first name. -
Tap add phone and type “000-000-0000” as the contact number.
Enter “000-000-0000” as the phone number. -
Tap Done.
Tap Done. -
You’ll be taken to the contact screen. Scroll down and tap Block this caller. When a blocked contact tries to call you, their phone will go to voicemail, and you won’t get a notification. When you get a call from a “No Caller ID” number, your phone will recognize it as a blocked contact, and you won’t get a notification.
Tap Block this caller.
Block No Caller ID using third-party apps
There are apps that not only will allow you to block unwanted calls but can also find the identity of No Caller IDs. Here are two of the most popular apps used for this:
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TrapCall: Reveal No Caller ID – This app allows you to unmask the identity of many unknown numbers. It also allows you to block over 200,000 spam callers and telemarketers.
It has a “Live Caller ID” feature, which shows the name of any person who calls you. The app has a trial period, after which you have to buy a monthly or yearly subscription.
Block unwanted calls using TrapCall (source: trapcall.com). -
TrueCaller: Block Spam Calls – TrueCaller is another app that lets you see the identity of unknown numbers. It also tells you whether the call you’re receiving is spam or not. Similar to TrapCall, TrueCaller also has monthly and yearly subscription models that you have to purchase to gain access to all features after the trial period ends.
Use TrueCaller to block unwanted calls (source: truecaller.com)
Block No Caller ID through your carrier
If unknown callers are still harassing you, you can contact your carrier to purchase a call filter service. Note that these services aren’t available in most places, so you’ll have to call your carrier and ask them about it.
AT&T, for example, has an app called “AT&T ActiveArmor” that lets you block No Caller ID and spam calls. It’s only available for AT&T users.
T-Mobile and Verizon also have their own paid services that give you the option to block unwanted callers. Your carrier will most likely charge you a small subscription fee to use these apps and services.