How to block calls on an iPhone

Let’s face it, sometimes you just don’t want people calling you. Maybe you have those pesky telemarketers ringing you around the clock or perhaps a stalker-esque ex-lover that just won’t leave you alone despite that restraining order you had put in place last year. Shouldn’t there be a better way to keep the nuisance-creating callers at bay? Well there is if you’re willing to put in a little bit work and flexibility.

Here’s our how-to guide for blocking calls on an Apple iPhone using your phone’s Do Not Disturb mode or iBlacklist. Keep in mind the latter requires you to jailbreak your phone first. Check out our guide on how to jailbreak your iPhone if you haven’t already.

Using iBlacklist

It’s unfortunate that Apple has yet to include a tool for blocking unwanted incoming calls. Luckily, the iBlacklist app does a fantastic job of blocking both calls and texts from specific people or unknown numbers if you’re willing to risk jailbreaking your iPhone and shelling out an additional $12.99 in the Cydia app store. It’s a not difficult, nor is it a lengthy process, but is the most effective way to block unwanted communication.

To begin, tap the Cydia icon on your phone, search for “iBlacklist” in the search tab, and select the app from the search results. We’re assuming you’ve already jailbroken your iPhone and have access to the Cydia app. If not, refer to our guide for how to jailbreak your iPhone to unlock the alternate store.

Follow the on-screen instructions for downloading and purchasing iBlacklist. When done downloading, click “Close Window” to close Cydia and return to your homescreen. You may have to restart your phone before the changes will take effect.

Scroll through your apps to find the iBlacklist icon and open up the app. Click “Blacklists” from the main menu to access your current blacklisted groups and numbers. To add a new number tap “Add new Blacklist” and select “Import from Address Book” block an entire contact list. Alternatively, select “General BL” and tap the addition sign in the upper right-hand corner to add individual contacts from your address book, recent calls list, recent SMS list or manually enter a number and accompanying contact info.

After you’ve entered the contact to be blocked, look for the red call icon on the configuration role. Set the switch to “On” to block incoming calls from that contact. You can also block SMS, MMS and Facetime by toggling the switches next to the red icons for each form of communication.

Now you’ll need to tap “Action” when viewing a contact to choose your desired action when the unwanted call comes in. You can choose to accept the call, immediately accept and hang up, send the caller straight to voicemail, issue a busy signal or block the call before your phone even rings. When finished, close the contact and the changes will be automatically saved. Continue blocking people in the same manner until your satisfied with your blacklist.

Check out the iBlacklist manual at the top its website for a detailed, photo-laden rundown of the software and all of its features.

Using your phones Do Not Disturb mode

Although iBlacklist is the best option for blocking calls, it may not be the most enticing. Jailbreaking your iPhone voids your warranty and opens your smartphone up to a slew of stability and security issues that may leave some users skeptical about taking the plunge. That being said, the built-in Do Not Disturb mode in iOS 6 can accomplish the blocking task to a certain degree, but it essentially works in reverse. Instead of receiving incoming calls from everyone but the contacts you block, the tool will actually block incoming calls from everyone but the contacts you allow. It’s overkill yes, but a nice option if you want to drop off the radar for a spell and only receive calls from a select few individuals.

Make sure you’ve upgraded to the latest version of iOS 6 if you haven’t already. The software is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S and 5.

Click the Settings icon with the gears, tap the Notifications and select the Do Not Disturb option at the top the list.

Once opened, you can schedule the mode to automatically turn on during specified hours hours of the day and select the contacts you wish you receive calls from. Simply choose the Allow Calls From option and choose favorites to allow calls from contacts on your favorites list. Alternatively you can select no one and everyone (which seems counter intuitive if you ask us). There’s also an option to toggle on Repeated Calls, an option that doesn’t silence phone calls from the same person if they call you more than once within three minutes.

Finally, toggle on the Do Not Disturb mode from your iPhone’s main settings to initiate the function. When active, a crescent moon icon will appear to the left of the clock at the top of your phone, indicating that the comprehensive blocking feature is in full effect.

What do you think of our guide to blocking calls on your Apple iPhone? Do you have a better method? Let us know in the comments below. 

This post has been updated to reflect software changes.