We all deal with spam messages, and no matter what we do, they don't ever fully go away. But I assume if you are reading this, you must be looking to declutter your message inbox from pre-approved loan alerts, unwarranted offers, and clear-as-day phishing attempts. So, keep reading as I take you through all the different ways on how to report spam texts on iPhone and filter them in the Messages app.
How to Report Spam Texts on iPhone
There are a couple of ways to report spam messages, and iOS 26 has made the whole process automatic as well. However, they still return with a new number and so on. That is why I took it to the online blogs, Reddit and Apple forums, looking to filter out spam from my Messages inbox. Based on my research, here are some methods you can try out on your iPhone.
Delete Message and Report as Spam
This is the quickest and most obvious method to report spam on your iPhone. It lets you delete and report the message to both Apple and your carrier at the same time.
- Launch the Messages app on your iPhone and select the spam message to open it.
- Tap on Delete at the bottom and then select Delete and Report Spam to confirm.
Note: The Report Junk option only appears for messages from senders who are not in your contacts.
Turn on Spam Filter (iOS 26 or Later)
If you have an iOS 26-supported device, like the iPhone 11 up to the latest iPhone 17 device, then you can turn on the new automatic spam detection. It automatically filters spam messages on iPhone and stores them in a separate folder. It is turned on by default, but here's how you can enable it manually.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to Apps > Messages.
- Here, turn on the Filter Spam toggle.
- Now, open Messages and tap on the filter icon in the top right.
- Then, tap on Spam to see all the filtered spam messages.
If a message has been incorrectly flagged, tap on it and select Not Spam to move it back to the main inbox.
Block a Spam Sender on iPhone
Reporting a spam message on an iPhone does not automatically block the sender. In case you are receiving spam messages to an annoying degree, you can also block the sender.
- Launch the Messages app and open the spam text.
- Next, tap on the sender's number at the top.
- Now, select Block Contact and tap on Block Contact again to confirm.
Enable Filter Unknown Senders on iPhone
If you think there is a certain number that is not going to spam, even after you have turned on the iOS 26 feature we discussed above, then you can turn on the Unknown sender filter. It stores messages from unknown contacts into a separate list, away from your main inbox.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to Apps > Messages.
- Scroll down to Message Filtering and turn on the Filter Unknown Senders toggle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does reporting spam on iPhone actually do anything?
Yes. Reporting to Apple helps improve spam detection across the Messages app over time. It does not block the sender immediately, which is why blocking manually after reporting is highly recommended.
Q. Does reporting spam also block the sender on iPhone?
No. Tapping Report Junk on iPhone reports the number but does not block it. The sender can still message the user after being reported. To stop messages from the number entirely, block it manually using the steps above.
That is all we have on how to report spam messages on an iPhone. I understand that getting spammed constantly can be really annoying, which is why it led me to look up these methods in the first place. I hope I was able to help you out too and end your frustration with receiving spam messages on iPhone,
