Apple Introduces New iPhone Feature to Silence Spam Calls in iOS 26

Apple's latest iOS 26 update introduces a new call filtering feature designed to reduce spam calls on iPhones, including models from iPhone 14 Pro and newer. This feature does not rely on artificial intelligence, making it accessible to all supported devices immediately. Users can activate the feature by navigating to Settings, then Apps, and selecting Phone, where they will find the 'Screen Unknown Callers' option with three settings: 'Never' (default, allowing all calls), 'Ask Reason for Calling' (which prompts unknown callers to state their purpose before the phone rings), and 'Silence' (which automatically silences and sends unknown calls to voicemail).

The recommended setting for most users is 'Ask Reason for Calling,' as it filters out spam calls without missing important ones, such as calls from medical offices. When this option is enabled, the iPhone transcribes the caller's reason, allowing users to decide whether to answer. Users can change these settings anytime. This new feature offers a smarter and more precise way to manage incoming calls, providing relief from frequent marketing and spam calls while maintaining access to essential communications.