The latest version of the iPhone software, iOS 13, was released last week and, as usual, it includes a plethora of new features. One of those is the ability to silence unknown callers on an iPhone. So, what does iOS consider “unknown”, what does it do with these numbers and how can you switch the feature on?
What are “unknown callers”
That’s not as daft a question as it sounds. A “known” caller is any phone number that can be found in your contacts, outgoing call history and Siri Suggestions. If it’s not one of those, it’s unknown.
If you’re plagued with ambulance chasers and PPI requests (okay, not the latter anymore, hopefully) then this may work a treat.
In my case, though, the list of “unknowns” will also include my local Boots Opticians who insist on withholding their number ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
How does it silence calls?
Rather than sending Winston Wolf around to “sort them out”, switching on this option causes all unknown phone calls to be rejected – if you have voicemail turned on then they’ll be directed to that. The number will appear in your log history and it will show on your phone that you’ve had a call.
How to silence unknown callers
It’s quite simple. Head to Settings -> Phone, then scroll down to near the bottom to find the section named “CALL SILENCING AND BLOCKED CONTACTS” (catchy!).
Click the “Silence Unknown Callers” toggle on and you’ll never hear from them again. In a non-menacing way.
NOW READ THIS: How do you switch on Dark Mode in iOS 13?
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