Scam calls are more than a nuisance. In its December 2025 report on older consumers, the Federal Trade Commission found that when older adults lost money to a scam that started with a phone call, the typical loss was higher than for any other way scammers made contact. So a setting that filters unknown callers is worth five minutes of your time.
On an iPhone with iOS 26 or iOS 27, that setting is called Screen Unknown Callers, and it has three choices.
The three choices, in plain English
| Choice | What happens when a number that isn’t in your contacts calls |
|---|---|
| Never | Nothing changes. Unknown numbers ring as normal. |
| Ask Reason for Calling | Your iPhone answers for you and asks the caller for their name and why they’re calling. Their answer appears on your screen, and then your phone rings so you can decide whether to pick up. |
| Silence | Unknown callers go straight to voicemail. Your phone doesn’t ring. |
People in your Contacts always ring through normally, whichever you choose.
Plain talk: call screening
Call screening means your phone checks who’s calling before it rings, a bit like a receptionist asking “May I say who’s calling?”
Our recommendation for most older adults
Choose Ask Reason for Calling. Most robocalls and scammers hang up when asked who they are. Real callers, such as a new doctor’s office, a delivery driver or a pharmacy, simply say who they are, and you can pick up.
Silence is stricter, but it’s easier to miss something important, such as a hospital or a tradesperson calling from a new number.
How to turn it on
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps, then tap Phone.
- Tap Screen Unknown Callers.
- Choose Ask Reason for Calling.
That’s it. The next time an unknown number calls, you’ll see what the caller said before you answer.
Try this
Save the numbers of your doctor, dentist, pharmacy, bank and family members in Contacts today. Saved numbers ring straight through, so the people who matter never get screened.
Things to know
- Traveling: Apple says screening doesn’t work while you’re roaming, so unknown calls ring normally when you’re overseas.
- After an emergency call: if you call emergency services, screening switches off for 24 hours so they can call you back.
- Voicemail still works. If a caller doesn’t answer the screening question, they can usually still leave a message.
Safety tip
Screening doesn’t replace common sense. A scammer might give a convincing reason, such as “It’s your bank’s fraud team.” If a call is about money or your accounts, hang up and call back on the number on your card or statement.
Also turn on text filtering
Scam texts are just as common. Your iPhone can move messages from unknown senders into a separate list. See Not getting texts? Check the Unknown Senders filter to set it up without missing important messages.
Scam-Proof has word-for-word scripts for tricky calls, and Your iPhone, Plainly Explained covers blocking and filtering calls step by step.