when you may receive a message from a contact you’d rather not see again, or get a random message from someone with a questionable number. Sure, you can delete the message and move on, but a much more permanent solution is to block those people entirely, thereby preventing their texts from reaching you until you decide otherwise. Thankfully, both iOS and Android devices allow you to easily do this, and we’ve taken to breaking down the various ways to do so.
Blocking texts in iOS
Block texts from known contacts and phone numbers
Blocking texts in iOS requires a little more than simply blocking the phone number or contact in question, even though that will stop you from receiving notifications from those people when they try to reach out. For messages specifically, tap the message from the contact you want to block, then tap Details in the top-right corner. Again, in the top-right corner, you’ll want to tap the “i” icon to open the Info page, then tap Block this Caller at the bottom of the page.
Another way is to go to Settings > Messages > Blocked and tap Add New to add a new blocked contact. Using either method, you’ll not only block messages, but also phone calls and FaceTime calls. This saves you from having to go to the Phone and FaceTime apps and settings to block the same person.
Block texts from numbers that appear as “unknown” or “private”
Unfortunately, you can’t outright block unknown and private numbers in the same way you can known contacts. You can, however, filter and separate them from the rest of the people you know. Go to Settings > Messages and toggle on the Filter Unknown Senders option. This will create a new tab in your Messages app called “Unknown Senders,” but you won’t get notifications for these. It may not be ideal, but it’s a decent compromise.
Report Spam iMessages
Another thing you can do is report spam and junk iMessages. When you get an iMessage from someone you don’t know, there will be a “Report Junk” link. Tap the link to forward the sender’s information and message to Apple. The company should deal with the contact and eventually render the person or bot unable to message you again.
You can also email Apple at “[email protected]”. Keep in mind that you’ll need a screenshot of the message, as well as the email address or phone number that sent the iMessage, and the date and time you received it.
Apple doesn’t deal with SMS and MMS messages, but you can always report them to your carrier. AT&T, for example, suggests sending the spam message to 7726 (SPAM). Afterward, the carrier will look into the message.
Blocking texts in Android
On a Nexus phone
There are two ways to go about blocking messages on a Nexus phone, like the Nexus 6P or 5X. The first is to open the Messenger app, then open or start a conversation with one of your contacts. Tap More represented by three vertical dots select People & options, and tap Block. You can also open the Messenger app, touch and hold the conversation you want to block, tap Block when the option appears in the top-right corner, and tap OK.
On a Samsung phone
Like the Nexus, Samsung phones have two ways to block messages. One method involves opening Messages, then choosing the conversation that contains the contact you want to block. From there, tap the More icon, select Block number, and toggle Message block to “On.” Then, tap OK.
Alternatively, head to Messages > More > Settings. Tap Block messages to select the check box, then tap Block list. From here, manually enter the contact’s number and tap the ‘+’ sign, or choose from your inbox or contacts list. When you’ve entered all the numbers you want to block, tap the back arrow.
On an LG phone
LG’s blocking process is fairly quick and straightforward, but instead of blocking, you mark messages as spam and get the contact blocked that way. Start by opening LG’s messaging app and tapping the SMS or MMS message you want to block. Then, tap Menu > Register spam number and check or uncheck Delete all messages of the selected number — this part is entirely optional — to confirm your choice. The number should now be blocked and registered as spam.
On an HTC phone
Much like LG’s blocking process, HTC’s way of blocking unwanted messages is quick and easy. Open Messages, then tap and hold the desired text conversation until the Message options appears. Then, tap Block contact.
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