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Screen and filter text messages on iPhone

You can reduce the number of unwanted text messages you receive when you screen and filter messages from unknown senders and turn off business alerts.

A conversation list in Messages. All messages are shown, because no filter is selected in the Filter menu.

Screen and filter messages from unknown senders

You can prevent unknown senders from texting you directly. Their messages are filtered other folders, and you don’t get notified about them unless you want to be.

  1. Go to the Messages app on your iPhone.

  2. Tap the Filter button at the top right of the conversation list, then tap Manage Filtering.

  3. Turn on Screen Unknown Senders.

  4. If you want to allow notifications from some unknown senders, tap Allow Notifications, then turn on or off those categories. (Options vary by country and region.)

    For example, you can allow notifications for time-sensitive texts, like verification codes.

  5. To detect and filter SMS, MMS, and RCS messages from unknown senders into folders for Transactions and Promotions, tap the Back button, tap Text Message Filter, then turn on Text Message Filter and third-party message filtering extensions you install.

    Note: Filters apply to promotions and transactions (or whatever your third-party message filtering extension offers). Text message filtering doesn’t apply to any sender you’ve replied to three times or more. Try blocking or reporting those senders.

Review messages from unknown senders and mark them as known

A known sender can be someone you’ve marked as known or added to the Contacts app. If you want messages from someone in Unknown Senders to appear in your conversation list, or if you can't open a link sent by an unknown sender, make them a known sender.

  1. Go to the Messages app on your iPhone.

  2. Tap the Filter button at the top right of the conversation list, then tap Unknown Senders.

  3. Do any of the following:

    • Tap the message from the sender whose messages you want to see in your conversation list, then tap Mark as Known.

    • Tap the sender’s email address or phone number at the top of the conversation, then tap Create New Contact.

Until you mark a sender as known or add them as a contact, any future messages are filtered to Unknown Senders.

Turn off business alerts

Some businesses send alerts and updates on your orders and other transactions. You can turn these off.

  1. Go to the Settings app  on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Apps, then tap Messages.

  3. Turn off any of the following:

    • RCS Business Messages: Tap RCS Messaging, then turn RCS Business Messages off. (Availability varies by carrier and country.)

    • Apple Messages for Business: Tap Messages for Business, then turn Business Updates off.

You can also report spam messages when you receive them.

See Apple Messages for Business & Privacy.

Tip: Another way to prevent unwanted messages is to allow messages only from your contacts with Screen Time.

To change how the notifications appear and more, you can set your notification options.

To pause notifications from Messages, turn on Do Not Disturb or another Focus.

To learn about other ways you can report and prevent unwanted messages, see the Apple Support article Recognize and avoid phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams.

See alsoKeep track of messages on iPhoneStop, mute, and change message notifications on iPhoneDelete messages and attachments in Messages on iPhoneManage information sharing with Safety Check on iPhone
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