How to stop spam email and text messages on your smartphone

How can I stop all the spam that's sent to your iPhone? All spam is annoying, but spam email and text messages on your phone seem to be particularly invasive. Here’s the best way to beat spammers and get rid of unwanted messages on your iPhone.

While spam email is a constant, junk texts seem to come in waves as spammers get hold of email addresses and phone numbers. These junk messages usually advertise cheap or fake products and, in most cases, their aim is to get you to hand over your bank details so they can withdraw money from your account.  

Most people delete the spam message by sliding across the phone screen to the left and tapping Delete. While this is an option, it doesn't prevent the spammer from sending you another message. There’s a better way to handle spam iMessage texts.

The first step is to block the iMessage spam, instead of just deleting it. Blocking spam iMessage texts prevents that spammer from sending you another text message. Here's how to block unwanted spam:

  1.  Open Messages and tap the spam message

  2. Tap Details in the top-right

  3. Tap Info (the circled "i" icon)

  4. Tap Block this Caller, then Block Contact

This person is now added to your block list, and they won't be able to send you any more messages. You can also use this to mute people you don't want texting you. Unmute them by tapping Unblock this Caller.

Meirav Dulberg