Note that this list is the same regardless of how you access it, and any phone numbers or email addresses on this list will be blocked from calling you or texting you via the phone, FaceTime audio or video, iMessage, or SMS. To see or modify the list of the numbers you’ve blocked, open the iPhone Settings app, and then select either Phone, Messages, or FaceTime and tap Blocked Contacts. Tap Block this Caller at the bottom of the screen.Tap the “I” in a circle beside the number that you’d like to block.
The FaceTime app will show recent calls by default.
If you’re using the Phone app, tap Recents at the bottom to see your recent calls.Unlike the unknown and junk call features, the call blocking list in iOS does apply to FaceTime audio and video calls, so you can block the offending numbers as they come in. Sadly, these won’t make the calls go away entirely, but they’re better than nothing. Meanwhile, however, there are a couple of things you can do to help mitigate the problem. The same also applies to the carrier-specific “Silence Junk Callers” feature added in iOS 14.įrankly, we think that’s an omission that Apple needs to fix, and hopefully, this latest round of spam calls will be the wake-up call that Apple needs to do so. Even though iOS 14 offers some call blocking features, many of these don’t apply to FaceTime.įor example, although Apple added a “Silence Unknown Callers” setting in iOS 13, this only works for normal phone calls - it doesn’t apply to FaceTime calls at all. Sadly, there’s not much that can be done to prevent this right now.
This seems to be more of a very inconsiderate prank right now than something that’s being employed by telemarketers or robocallers, but it’s becoming widespread, nonetheless, with the Apple Discussion Forums filling up with people reporting this problem and wondering exactly how to prevent it. As more and more people receive follow-on calls, they too begin making callbacks. The high volume of callbacks appears to be the result of other people receiving the call dialing everyone back when the initial call fails shortly after answering. It’s not yet clear at this point what the purpose of the calls are, but according to the report, “Griefers behind the pranks call as many as 31 numbers at a time,” using Group FaceTime, creating a chain of chaos whereby well-meaning users on the receiving end may attempt to return the call, resulting in barrages of dozens of repeated calls in short succession.