Spam calls are annoying. I have my phone ringing in case of emergency but before iOS26spam would regularly call my iPhone at least a few times a week. Spam calls can be extremely stressful, especially when waiting for a call from a place like the doctor’s office. But thanks to iOS 26’s call screening feature, I don’t remember the last time my phone rang for a spam call.
Call screening is not an Apple Intelligence feature, so any iOS 26-compatible iPhone, like the iPhone 14 Pro, can use it. I enabled the feature early in the beta process, and my iPhone has been carefully holding off spam calls like the Hoover Dam ever since. But you need to enable it first.
Here’s how to enable call screening in a few simple steps and what you need to know about the new feature.
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How to enable call screening on your iPhone
1. Faucet Settings.
2. Faucet Applications near the bottom of the menu.
3. Faucet Phone.
Under the Filter unknown callers section, you will see three options: Never, Ask reason for call, and Silence. Here’s what you need to know about each of these options and which one is right for most people.
Which call screening option should you choose?
Choosing Never is the default option and allows calls from unsaved numbers to go through and ring your phone. It also documents missed calls in your Recents list in your Phone app, just like before call screening was available.
If you tap Ask Call Reason, your iPhone will ask anyone who calls you from an unsaved number why they are calling you without ringing your iPhone. After the caller answers a few questions, your iPhone will send you a transcript of the caller’s responses. You can then decide whether you want to answer the call.
You can also choose Silence, which is the nuclear option for phone calls. Any unsaved numbers that call you will be silenced and sent to voicemail, no questions asked.
Asking the reason for the call is the best option for most people who want to screen calls. I chose it, and while it alerted me when scam callers answered certain questions, which they rarely did, it also alerted me when my doctor’s office called to review certain test results. If I had chosen Silent, I would have missed my doctor’s office (and choosing Never would mean checking every call if I was expecting something important).
If you choose Ask reason for call and you don’t like it, you can always follow the steps above again and choose one of the other options. And remember, you can always put your iPhone on silent and not be disturbed by any phone calls. My wife hasn’t turned off her phone in months and she remains perfectly indifferent to unwanted calls.
For more iOS news, here’s what you need to know iOS 26.2 and what was included in iOS 26.1. You can also view our iOS 26 Cheat Sheet for other tips and tricks.
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