Do you want to stop your Aunt Karen from sending you annoying text chains? Or have the texting alerts from that one company you visited three years ago just become a little too much to handle? It’s okay, we’ve all been there. Thankfully, there is a way to get the text messages to stop.
Here’s how to block text messages on your phone.
How to Block Text Messages on iPhone
The details might vary depending on how old your iPhone OS is. But the overall process stays the same. The easiest way to block text messages is by blocking the number that’s sending them. Here’s how to do that on the iOS 14.
1. Select the message you’d like to block. Make sure that you’ve selected the right text message and that the contact and details match.
2. Go to the contact and select info.
3. If you have a previous iOS, you will want to tap the arrow to the right of the number. In iOS 14, you’ll hit info again.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and select “Block This Caller.”
The Downsides
This process will also block the contact from being able to call you. Not a big deal if it’s just a random store you’ve subscribed to, but if it’s your doctors office or your Aunt Karen, you might run into some issues then. As of right now, there’s not a good way to block people from texting you without also stopping them from calling you.
However, you can stop your phone from getting notifications for a certain number. That means they’ll still be able to text and call you, but you won’t be notified until you go in and check your messages.
They also might receive a bounceback notification if they try to text you, which is something to keep in mind if you’re blocking an actual person. iPhone won’t ever tell someone that you’ve blocked them, but it’s good to keep in mind that they might be able to figure it out on their own.
Here’s a good link to find out more about text message blocking for the various iOS systems.
How do I unblock text messages on iPhone?
Thankfully, there’s always a way to reverse blocking messages on the iPhone. At any time, you can see what numbers you have blocked by going into your Settings app. From there, you’ll want to tap on Messages.
From there, you can scroll down and tap “Blocked Contacts.” You can find this under the SMS/MMS part of the menu. After you’ve tapped on Blocked Contacts, you’ll be able to scroll through all of the blocked contacts that you have.
When you find a number that you want to unblock, just swipe left on that contact name and tap Unblock.
How to Block Text Messages on Android
Blocking text messages on Android will vary depending on the type of phone you have. Like with the iPhone though, the process will generally be the same: you just want to block the number that’s sending you the unwanted texts. Perhaps you want to get an app that determines which messages are real and which are spam. For instance, when someone stalks you, you need to block the message immediately. Exactly how do you do that? That depends on the application you’re using. Most Android phones come with Google Messages as the default messaging app; however, there are quite other options, such as WhosCall, EyeCon, and other great apps, which can be used to automatically block unwanted text messages.
If you are wondering how to block messages in the app, follow these steps:
1. Open the message that you want to block.
2. Tap the Three Dots at the top of the screen to pull up a drop down menu.
3. Select Details.
4. Select “Block & Report Spam”
After that, you’ll get the option to report the text messages as spam. If it’s an actual person you’re blocking, you probably won’t want to do that. However, if it’s a business or company that has gone beyond keeping you informed and is just aggravating you, it might be worth reporting as spam.
There’s no pressure to report as spam if you don’t want to. If you don’t want to report as spam, make sure that the checkbox for reporting as spam isn’t checked. Then tap OK to block all unwanted messages from that number.
The Downsides
Similar to the iPhone, when you block text messages from a number, you’re also blocking that number from being able to call you. Most of the time, this isn’t a big deal – especially if you’re blocking automated text messages that wouldn’t call you anyway. However, if you’re blocking your doctor’s office or any other number that might actually call you, this might not be the option for you.
Of course, there also might be repercussions for the number after you’ve reported it as spam.
How do I unblock text messages on Android?
Blocked a number you didn’t mean to? That’s okay. Unblocking text messages on Android is a simple process.
First, you’ll want to open the Google Messages app on your phone. The process is probably similar for whatever texting app you’re using, but we’re going to use the Google Messages app as an example since it’s the most common messaging app on Androids.
When you have the Google Messages app open, don’t click on any conversation. Instead, tap on the three dots that are at the top of the screen to trigger the drop down menu. From there, select “Spam & Blocked.” This will pull up your blocked messages and numbers.
Go to the message that you want, and then hit the unblock number. After that, you’ll be able to see the text messages in your regular conversation list and be able to receive text messages and calls from that number again.
Should you block text messages?
So now that you know how you can block text messages on iPhone and Android… should you? That’s going to be entirely up to you. There’s lots of reasons for wanting to block a number from being able to send text messages.
Sometimes it’s more personal. You just get tired of people or would rather not hear from that person for a while. That’s totally valid.
Sometimes it’s an automated number that you’re blocking text messages from though. A business you signed up to receive updates from. Sometimes there’s practical reasons for blocking these numbers – like you moved away, or you’re no longer purchasing that service.
Other times, it’s just because the text messages got annoying.
Using text messages to advertise and keep in contact with customers is a skill. At the best of times, these text messages are welcome and feel like a personal touch to a rather informal process. Other times, it’s a constant barrage of deals or coupons you won’t use. Regardless, your reason for blocking text messages is valid.
What text messages have you blocked recently?
If you are using other online text messaging app like Telegram and you want to know How to block someone on Telegram, then please follow this link. In few easy and quick steps you will get to know how you can block any person on Telegram App.