How to stop spam texts on iPhone

It may seem impossible to escape spam texts. These unsolicited messages aren’t just annoying; they may contain malicious links or requests for your personal data. Therefore, they pose a significant security threat.

You can protect yourself by not clicking on the links in these messages or sharing confidential information with unknown persons. But the best way to stay safe is to avoid spam messages from coming to your iPhone in the first place. There are different ways to do this.

In this guide, we’ll explain different ways you can stop spam texts on your iPhone and provide a few security tips. Keep on reading to learn how to stop spam texts on your iPhone.

How to stop spam texts on iPhone in 2024

1. Get a data removal tool. We recommend Incogni, which is available now at 50% off!
2. Go to the Incogni website and create an account.
3. Read the Power of Attorney form and approve it.
4. Incogni will then send emails to all databases that have your information.
5. That’s it! You will stop receiving spam texts on your iPhone in no time!

What are spam text messages?

Spam text messages are unsolicited and irrelevant messages you may receive. These messages usually promote products or services and may contain compromised links designed to steal your sensitive data.

To stay safe online, it’s important to learn how to identify spam messages. One telltale sign is that they come from suspicious or unknown senders.

Poor spelling and grammar are also indicators of spam text messages, as are strange URLs that might lead to suspicious websites. Also, watch out for suspicious attachments and avoid clicking on them.

Some spam messages may claim you have won a prize or gift card. For example, the message may say, “Congrats! You’ve won the latest iPhone model.”

Spammers can also masquerade as legitimate organizations, like your bank. For example, you may receive a text message that reads, “Urgent: Your bank account has been compromised. Click the link and enter your login credentials.”

Spammers often try to get their targets to click on malicious links. For example, you may receive a spam message that says, “Check out this amazing discount. 50% off for the first buyers.”

There are many types of scams and spam messages, so the rule of thumb is to avoid all suspicious messages.

How to block unwanted texts on iPhone: Step-by-step guide

There are two ways to stop spam texts on iPhones. The first method is to use a data removal service such as Incogni. You can also use the built-in features on the iPhone Messages app to filter out spam messages.

Regardless of the method you choose, you shouldn’t have any issues as they’re relatively very straightforward. We’ll guide you through both methods. So, let’s explore how to block unwanted texts on iPhone!

How to stop junk messages automatically

If you want to stop junk messages quickly and permanently, Incogni is your best bet. This tool deletes your personal information from the databases of people search sites, stopping spammers from obtaining your details.

Here’s how to keep your data from spammers with Incogni:

1. Visit the Incogni website and click the “Get Started” button, which will take you to the pricing page. Here, you can choose a plan that aligns with your needs and budget.
2. Once you pick a plan, you need to enter your personal data. Fill out your email, country, and ZIP code, and click on “Proceed to Payment.”
3. Enter your billing details and click on “Subscribe Now.”
4. You’ll receive a verification email from Incogni. Click on “Verify your email address.”
5. You’ll be redirected to the Incogni website to create an account. To do so, you need to fill out some personal details, such as your name, phone number, and date of birth.
6. Next, you need to sign the Power of Attorney form authorizing Incogni to contact data brokers on your behalf.
7. Once that’s done, Incogni will automatically send opt-out requests to all data brokers with your data, asking them to remove it from the Internet. You can monitor Incogni’s progress on the dashboard, which shows how many requests have been sent out and which brokers have deleted your information.

Get started with Incogni

How to manually block spam texts on iPhone

The second option is to filter out junk messages from your inbox manually. This process should take only a few minutes and is not complicated. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to “Settings” on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and look for the “Messages” icon. Once you find it, click on it.
3. Go down the page and find the “Filter Unknown Messages” option. This feature is turned off by default, so you need to toggle it on to activate it.
4. Then, go to the Messages app and check the “Filters” option. You will find a list of all messages, known senders, unknown senders, unread messages, and recently deleted messages. If you want to ignore spam or unknown messages, choose the Known Senders filter.
5. That’s it! Now, you won’t receive messages from unknown senders.

Security tips for spam text messages

As we already mentioned, spam text messages pose a significant security risk to your online safety. For example, they may contain phishing links that will lead you to malicious sites.

Luckily, there are specific security measures that you can take to enhance your safety. For starters, avoid clicking on links in the messages and use the spam filters on your iPhone. Also, never respond to spam texts, and report them to your carrier. Let’s explore some of these security tips in more detail!

Avoiding clicking on links in the messages

The first thing you should remember is to never open links from spam messages. These links may lead to malicious websites or even download malware on your device.

Junk texts often include links that open up malicious websites that trick you into revealing personal data. These sites usually look like credible websites, so you may unwittingly share your data with cybercriminals.

Spam messages can include links to fake login pages of bank accounts or online stores. Once you enter your data, bad actors use them to gain unauthorized access to your accounts.

Ultimately, clicking on links can trigger malware downloads and compromise your iPhone’s security without you noticing.

Using the iPhone's spam filters

Another way to stop receiving spam text messages is to use the spam filters on your iPhone. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Go to your your iPhone’s “Settings.”
2. Find the “Messages” icon and open it.
3. Scroll down to find the “Filter Unknown Sender” option and turn it on. This will automatically move texts from people you don't know to a separate "Unknown Senders" folder.

While this feature is helpful, it doesn’t block out spam messages entirely. It only ensures you don’t see them in your inbox. And you won’t receive a notification from unknown senders.

Never responding to spam texts

Not responding to spam texts is crucial to protect your online security. Often, scammers send out messages and direct recipients to reply ‘STOP’ to stop receiving the messages. Some of these messages include unsubscribe as an option and require you to open a link and provide some personal data.

However, when you respond, you allow them to confirm the phone number is valid. Malicious actors will then add your number to their active contacts list, continue sending spam texts, or even sell your data to other spammers.

So, avoid any interaction with junk messages to minimize your chances of becoming a target for further spam. This will also protect your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. The best approach is to ignore and delete these messages without responding to them.

Reporting spam to your carrier

You should always report spam to your carrier. This helps to protect you and others from spam text messages. This process is very straightforward. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Forward the spam message to your carrier. The standard shortcode for reporting spam messages in the US is 7726, but this can vary depending on your carrier and region.
2. Create a new text message and copy the spam message into it. Remember not to add anything else to the original content.
3. Send the new message with the spam content to your carrier’s number. Your carrier will receive the report and take the necessary measures to solve the issue.
4. Once you do all of this, delete the spam text immediately.

Conclusion

Spam text messages are a widespread issue. They can be annoying and also pose a significant risk to your online safety. Malicious actors often use spam messages in phishing attacks or to spread malware to unsuspecting targets.

Luckily, you can always stop spam texts on your iPhone using the filter options in your settings. We also recommend using data removal services like Incogni to wipe your data from the databases, or people search sites and ensure spammers don’t get your information and flood your inbox with suspicious messages.

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