How To Block All Private Calls On Iphone

Blocking the Unknown Callers on Your iPhone

We have all been there. Receiving continuous calls from "Unknown Caller" or no caller ID showing up on our phones. These annoying calls generally originate from telemarketers, spammers, etc. Other calls of the same type may show up as Private, Blocked, or simply as Anonymous. Regardless of where they originate or who they are from, we all want to take steps to block these calls.

With the ability to block certain contacts or known numbers, users want the ability to also block the more annoying 'unknown callers' as well. If you are one of the many who want to do something about the continuous unknown callers, there is good news. We will take a look at why you may receive these calls, and what steps you can take to make them stop.

So Why Are They Unknown?

Not everyone may be aware of the fact that in the US the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has mandated that cellular service providers are to allow people to be able to block their number from caller ID. For the everyday user this feature is a valuable privacy feature. However, there are many more spammers and telemarketers using the feature now. Using the No Caller ID feature allows them to call cell phone users anonymously.

How to Block Those Who Have No Caller ID

Receiving calls from unknown callers can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are a few ways that you can silence or block those who have chosen to stay anonymous. Here we will take a look at what options you may have to avoid having these No Caller ID calls interrupt your day.

Option 1: Do Not Disturb

This option will allow you to receive calls from only those who are already in your address book. All other calls, including those with No Caller ID will be silenced. This does not fully block them, only silences the call.

Go into your settings and look for 'Do Not Disturb'
Select the 'Manual' option
Turn on 'Do Not Disturb' (a moon icon will appear in your status bar)
Select 'Allow Calls from'
Next, select 'All Contacts' from the options

Additionally, you may want to enable the 'Repeated Calls' option, as most spammers and telemarketers will not be calling over and over.

Option 2: Contacts

Your next option is to use your contacts list to create a blocked contact. You can label this contact as "No Caller ID" for the name.

Open the 'Phone' app
Choose 'Contacts'
Select the '+' button to create a new contact
For the phone number you will enter 000-000-0000
Select 'Done'
Scroll until you see 'Block This Caller' and select this option
You will then see a pop "You Will Not Receive Phone Calls, Messages, or FaceTime from People on the Block List"
Select 'Block Contact' at this point

Option 3: Service Provider Blocks

This is the only 100% way that you can truly block an anonymous number from getting through. You will find that most of the major cell phone service providers offer a feature that will block unknown calls. You can search your service providers' website for detailed information on if or how to block unknown callers.

A few of the carriers that offer this feature have articles on their website to assist in blocking these unwanted calls.

T-Mobile: Blocking Anonymous Callers
Verizon: Anonymous Call Block
AT&T: Anonymous Call Rejection

There are still some carriers who do not offer the feature to block unknown numbers. You can, however, block your own number from showing up to others from most any phone, regardless of the provider.

One thing we should point out is that these methods should not be used in certain cases. If you get wanted calls on a regular basis from someone at unrecognized numbers or a business who has their ID blocked, you may want to avoid the above options. It is worth the time to think through who might be blocked in the process before proceeding.

With these types of calls one of the most frustrating things is that you cannot find out who a 'No Caller ID' number is or where it has originated. While this can be somewhat irritating, now you do have some options of stopping the calls from be so intrusive or stopped all together. As a final option you can always call your service providers technical support for additional information or ways to block unwanted calls.

It is important to note that when searching your carriers' website for assistance all of the following terminology are the same thing. Be as specific as possible in your search for better results.