Apple Watches provide convenience and connectivity, but occasionally unwanted calls or messages can disrupt your experience. Blocking unwanted numbers is a simple yet effective solution to regain control of your communications. Whether it’s spam callers or persistent telemarketers, blocking numbers on your Apple Watch is a straightforward process that can significantly improve your user experience.
Unlike smartphones, Apple Watches do not have a dedicated phone app for blocking numbers. Instead, you must use the Phone or Messages app on your iPhone, which is paired with your Apple Watch. To block a number through the Phone app, open the call log, select the desired contact, tap the “i” icon, and choose “Block this caller.” Alternatively, you can block numbers from the Messages app by opening the conversation, tapping the contact’s name, and selecting “Block this caller.” Once a number is blocked, you will no longer receive calls or messages from that source on your Apple Watch or iPhone.
Blocking numbers on your Apple Watch is not only limited to specific contacts. You can also block unknown callers or entire area codes using the Settings app on your iPhone. Navigate to “Phone,” select “Blocked Contacts,” and then tap “Add New.” Enter the desired phone number or area code and tap “Block.” This comprehensive approach provides additional control over your incoming calls and messages, ensuring a more personalized and uninterrupted experience on your Apple Watch.
Disabling Calls from a Specific Number
If a particular phone number is causing you unwanted interruptions, blocking it on your Apple Watch can provide peace of mind. Here’s a step-by-step guide to blocking a number:
1. Identify the Number to Block
- Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
- Scroll through the Recent Calls list or use the keypad to enter the phone number you want to block.
2. Tap the "i" Icon
- Once you’ve located the phone number, tap the small blue "i" icon at the far right.
3. Select "Block This Caller"
- From the pop-up that appears, tap the option labeled "Block This Caller."
- Confirm the action by tapping "Block Contact." The phone number will now be added to your Blocked list, preventing calls from that number from reaching your Apple Watch.
4. Managing Blocked Contacts
- To view or manage your list of blocked contacts, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
- Navigate to the "Phone" section.
- Select "Blocked Contacts."
5. Additional Notes
- Blocked numbers will not be able to call your Apple Watch, but they may still be able to leave voicemails.
- If you change carriers, your blocked contacts list will not automatically transfer. You’ll need to manually block them again on your new carrier.
- To unblock a number, follow the steps above and select "Unblock This Caller" from the pop-up menu.
Blocking Messages from a Contact
To block messages from a specific contact on your Apple Watch, follow these steps:
1. Open the Messages app on your Apple Watch.
2. Tap on the conversation thread with the contact you want to block.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the conversation and tap on the “Details” button.
4. Tap on the “Info” button next to the contact’s name.
5. Scroll down to the bottom of the contact’s information screen and tap on the “Block this Caller” button.
6. Tap on the “Block Contact” button to confirm.
Once you have blocked a contact, they will no longer be able to send you messages or call you. You can unblock a contact at any time by following the same steps and tapping on the “Unblock this Caller” button.
| Steps | Actions |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open the Messages app on your Apple Watch. |
| 2 | Tap on the conversation thread with the contact you want to block. |
| 3 | Scroll down to the bottom of the conversation and tap on the “Details” button. |
| 4 | Tap on the “Info” button next to the contact’s name. |
| 5 | Scroll down to the bottom of the contact’s information screen and tap on the “Block this Caller” button. |
| 6 | Tap on the “Block Contact” button to confirm. |
Managing Blocked Numbers
To manage your blocked numbers, follow these steps:
- Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap the Recents tab.
- Find the contact you want to block and tap the info button (i) next to their name.
You can also manage your blocked numbers on your iPhone by going to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts.
- Scroll down and tap Block this Caller.
- Confirm by tapping Block Contact.
- Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap the Recents tab.
- Find the contact or phone number you want to block.
- Swipe left on the contact or phone number.
- Tap “Block this Caller.”
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap “Phone.”
- Tap “Blocked Contacts.”
- Find the contact or phone number you want to unblock.
- Swipe left on the contact or phone number.
- Tap “Unblock this Caller.”
- You can also unblock a number by following these steps on your iPhone:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap "Phone."
- Tap "Blocked Contacts."
- Find the contact or phone number you want to unblock.
- Swipe left on the contact or phone number.
- Tap "Unblock this Caller."
- If you have blocked a contact, they will not be able to call or text you. They will also not be able to leave you voicemails.
- If you unblock a contact, they will be able to call or text you again. They will also be able to leave you voicemails again.
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap on “Focus”.
- Select “Create a New Focus”.
- Give your Focus a name and customize its settings, such as when it should be active and what notifications you want to receive.
- Scroll down to the “People” section and tap on “Allowed People”.
- Select the contacts you want to block and tap on “Done”.
- Turn on the focus to activate the block.
- Contacts Only: Only calls from people in your contacts will be allowed.
- Recents: Only calls from people who you’ve recently called or texted will be allowed.
- All: All calls will be allowed.
6. Tap the Block Calls from option and select one of the following:
- No One: No calls will be blocked.
- Blocked Contacts: Calls from people in your blocked contacts list will be blocked.
- Unknown Numbers: Calls from numbers that are not in your contacts or recents will be blocked.
7. Tap the Send to Voicemail option and select one of the following:
- Always: All calls that are not allowed will be sent to voicemail.
- When I Don’t Answer: Calls that are not allowed will only be sent to voicemail if you don’t answer them.
- Never: Calls that are not allowed will not be sent to voicemail.
Option Description Contacts Only Only calls from people in your contacts will be allowed. Recents Only calls from people who you’ve recently called or texted will be allowed. All All calls will be allowed. No One No calls will be blocked. Blocked Contacts Calls from people in your blocked contacts list will be blocked. Unknown Numbers Calls from numbers that are not in your contacts or recents will be blocked. Always All calls that are not allowed will be sent to voicemail. When I Don’t Answer Calls that are not allowed will only be sent to voicemail if you don’t answer them. Never Calls that are not allowed will not be sent to voicemail. Silencing Calls from Specific Apps
In addition to silencing calls from specific numbers, you can also silence calls from specific apps. This can be useful if you receive frequent calls from an app that you don’t want to answer, such as a spam app. To silence calls from a specific app:
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap Notifications.
- Tap the app that you want to silence calls from.
- Tap the Silence switch.
You can also silence calls from specific apps using the Notification Center on your Apple Watch. To do this:
- Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Notification Center.
- Tap the app that you want to silence calls from.
- Tap the Silence button.
You can also use the Focus feature to silence calls from specific apps. To do this:
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap Focus.
- Tap the focus that you want to use to silence calls from specific apps.
- Tap the Apps tab.
- Tap the app that you want to silence calls from.
- Tap the Silence switch.
Method Steps Settings app Open the Settings app > Notifications > App > Silence switch Notification Center Swipe down from the top of the screen > App > Silence button Focus feature Open the Settings app > Focus > Focus > Apps tab > App > Silence switch Utilizing the “Block This Caller” Feature
This section provides a step-by-step guide on how to block a number on your Apple Watch using the built-in “Block This Caller” feature.
Step 1: Open the Phone App
On your Apple Watch, open the Phone app by pressing the Digital Crown and selecting it from the app grid.
Step 2: Locate the Contact or Phone Number
Scroll through your recent calls or contacts to find the number or contact you want to block.
Step 3: Tap the “i” Button
Once you have found the contact or number, tap the small “i” button next to it.
Step 4: Select “Block This Caller”
On the contact information screen, scroll down and select the “Block This Caller” option.
Step 5: Confirm Blocking
A confirmation message will appear. Select “Block Contact” to confirm and complete the blocking process.
Step 6: Verify Blocking Status
To ensure that the number has been successfully blocked, call the number from another device. If the call goes straight to voicemail, the number has been blocked successfully.
Advanced Blocking Options
Option Description Block Unknown Callers Prevents any calls from unknown numbers. Silence Unknown Callers Sends unknown calls directly to voicemail without ringing. To access these advanced blocking options, open the Settings app on your watch and navigate to “Phone” > “Call Blocking & Identification.”
How To Block A Number On Apple Watch
To block a number on your Apple Watch, you can follow these steps:
1.
Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
2.
Tap the Recents tab.
3.
Find the contact you want to block and tap the info button next to their name.
4.
Scroll down and tap Block this Caller.
5.
Tap Block Contact to confirm.
Once you have blocked a number, they will not be able to call or text you anymore. You can also unblock a number at any time by following the same steps and tapping Unblock this Caller.
People also ask
How do I block a number on my iPhone?
To block a number on your iPhone, you can follow these steps:
1.
Open the Phone app.
2.
Tap the Recents tab.
3.
Find the contact you want to block and tap the info button next to their name.
4.
Scroll down and tap Block this Caller.
5.
Tap Block Contact to confirm.
How do I unblock a number on my Apple Watch?
To unblock a number on your Apple Watch, you can follow these steps:
1.
Open the Phone app on your Apple Watch.
2.
Tap the Recents tab.
3.
Find the contact you want to unblock and tap the info button next to their name.
4.
Scroll down and tap Unblock this Caller.
5.
Tap Unblock Contact to confirm.
How do I block a number on my Mac?
To block a number on your Mac, you can follow these steps:
1.
Open the Messages app.
2.
Click on the conversation with the person you want to block.
3.
Click on the info button in the top right corner of the conversation.
4.
Scroll down and click Block this Caller.
5.
Click Block Contact to confirm.
The blocked number will no longer be able to call or send you messages.
To unblock a number, follow the same steps and tap Unblock this Caller instead.
Additional Options for Managing Blocked Numbers
In addition to blocking individual numbers, you can also block all unknown callers or all callers from a specific country or region.
To block all unknown callers, go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.
To block all callers from a specific country or region, go to Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. Then, tap the Add button and select the country or region you want to block.
| Blocked Number | Reason for Blocking |
|---|---|
| (555) 123-4567 | Spam calls |
| (555) 789-1011 | Harassing calls |
| (555) 234-5678 | Unknown caller |
How to Block a Number on Apple Watch
To block a number on Apple Watch, follow these steps:
Unblocking a Number
To unblock a number on Apple Watch, follow these steps:
Additional details for unblocking a number:
Using Focus Modes for Selective Blocking
Focus Modes provide a convenient way to block specific contacts during certain times or in certain situations. Here’s how to set it up:
The table below summarizes the steps for using Focus Modes for selective blocking:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch. |
| 2 | Tap on “Focus”. |
| 3 | Select “Create a New Focus”. |
| 4 | Configure the Focus settings. |
| 5 | Select the contacts you want to block and tap on “Done”. |
| 6 | Turn on the focus to activate the block. |
Blocking Unknown Callers
Apple Watch does not have a built-in feature to block unknown callers. However, there are a few workarounds that you can use to achieve the same result.
Use the Do Not Disturb mode.
This will silence all incoming calls, including those from unknown numbers. To enable Do Not Disturb mode, swipe up from the bottom of the watch face and tap the moon icon.
Use a third-party app.
There are a number of third-party apps available in the App Store that can block unknown callers. These apps typically require you to create an account and then add the numbers you want to block to a blacklist.
Contact your carrier.
Some carriers offer a service that allows you to block unknown callers. To find out if your carrier offers this service, contact customer service.
Here is a table summarizing the different methods you can use to block unknown callers on Apple Watch:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Do Not Disturb mode | – Easy to enable | – Silences all incoming calls, including those from known numbers |
| Third-party app | – Can block specific numbers | – Requires you to create an account and may charge a subscription fee |
| Contact your carrier | – May be free | – Not all carriers offer this service |
Setting Up Call Screening
Call Screening is a feature that allows you to screen incoming calls before answering them on your Apple Watch.
To set up Call Screening:
1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
2. Tap Phone.
3. Tap Call Screening.
4. Tap the switch to turn on Call Screening.
5. Tap the Allow calls from option and select one of the following:
