How to Block Unwanted Text Messages on Your iPhone, iPad and Mac

We’ve all been there: sitting and working on our devices when we randomly get a message from an unknown sender. The message usually varies from a sales pitch to a dating request. You can choose to ignore it, but if you start receiving messages repeatedly from the same number, it can be very annoying. Fortunately, blocking messages from a specific sender is very easy on iOS but, it is a bit of a lengthier process on macOS.

Both methods are detailed below.

How to Block Messages on iOS

Blocking messages on iOS is very easy. You just need to select the contact information and choose the option to “Block the caller.”

1. In the Messages app, open the message/conversation from the sender that you want to block.

2. Tap on the contact at the top of the conversion.

3. Tap on the small Info button next to it.

4. After clicking the arrow next to the phone icon, select the name, phone number or email address of the sender. Now scroll to the bottom of the screen and select “Block this caller.”

That’s it. Do note that this contact will still be able to send you a voicemail, but you won’t get a notification about it. Also, they won’t know that you’ve blocked them, but any messages sent by you or them won’t get delivered.

This method also works for blocking messages by corporate brands (sent by a 5 digit number), so you can easily block all unwanted sale messages.

How to Block Messages on macOS

If you’ve tried blocking a number in the Messages app on macOS, you may have noticed that there is no direct option to do so. Blocking messages from a sender on macOS is a bit more tedious, since you can’t directly block a sender. Instead, the sender’s phone number / iMessage email address has to be added as a contact first before it can be blocked. The method is a bit longer but works just as well. We hope Apple considers a more simpler solution like the one for iOS.

1. Open up the Messages app on macOS, and select the conversation with the sender you want to block.

2. Click on the arrow next to the contact’s name / phone number / email address, and select “Add to Contacts.”

3. Save the number as a contact. We’d recommend using some random name, such as “Blocked.”

4. Once done, go to “Messages -> Preferences” from the top-left menu.

5. In the Blocked tab, click on the Add button, and enter the contact name / iMessage address you want to block.

That’s it. It’s also worth noting that if your iPhone/Mac share the same Apple ID, blocking an address / phone number on any one device will result in it automatically being blocked on each device using the same Apple ID with Messages. That’s why we recommend using the iOS method described above, as it’s much easier and simpler.