[SC-CSTD] How to enable "Silence Unknown Callers", on your iPhone:, and more phone features: Rita's iDevice advice for August 3, 2026

[Steve Cook]

How to enable "Silence Unknown Callers", on your iPhone:, and more phone
features:  Rita's iDevice advice for August 3, 2026

 

your iPhone can direct Unknown calls directly to your voicemail, with out
your phone ringing.  You can review any voicemails that were recorded later.


 

Note:  If you are using VoiceOver:  when the instructions say "Tap on an
item", perform a one finger double tap gesture.

 

Open the Settings app.

Tap Apps.

Select Phone in the app list (or use the search bar).

Under Screen Unknown Callers;  select either Ask Reason for Calling, or
Silence.

If your carrier supports it, you can also use Call Filtering.  If you tap
the toggle next to Unknown Callers, calls from unknown numbers will be
filtered into a separate list.

 

Call Screening:

Instead of letting calls from unknown numbers go to voicemail, you can turn
on call screening.  "Record your name and reason for calling, I'll see if
this person is available," the software asks callers who are not saved in
your Contacts.  Then it shows the transcription on your phone, so you can
decide if you want to pick up.

To turn this on go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers > Ask
Reason for Calling.

Another description for screening unknown calls:

Filter unwanted calls iOS 26, adds new filters for unwanted calls, so you no
longer have to answer unknown numbers to know who is calling.  The system
will automatically answer these calls and wait until the caller shares their
name and the reason for the call, and you can choose whether or not to
answer.  You can enable the new feature by going to Settings > Apps > Phone
and looking for the Call Filtering section.

 

 

Hold Assist:

No more elevator music tracks, repeated over and over and over on your
customer-service call.  When you are on hold, tap the call screen's More
button, and select Hold Assist.  The call will be muted and run silently in
the background.  A live transcript will appear on the call screen, and when
a representative finally picks up, your phone, it will ring you back.

Further comments:

This is from Matt Vollbrecht with TTJTech.Biz In the new unified view, there
is not a separate tab for Voicemail.  Rather, your voicemails appear along
side all your recents and favorites, in the Calls tab.  You will know a
voicemail by the word, unread.  You can hear a summary or a preview of the
transcript before ever double-tapping on it as well.

 

Also, in unified view, you can use the Filter option to see only voicemails,
just missed calls, and other options.

Regarding VoiceMails:  you can read a transcript without using the Play
button, and you can even hear the transcript, or a summary, without ever
double-tapping on the message.  But, to actually play the audio, you need to
hit Play.

=======

 

 

AI call screener feature:

Taken from a Kim Komando news letter

The AI call screener hiding in your phone WHAT IT DOES: Makes an AI answer
your phone for you. When an unknown number calls, your phone picks up, asks
who's calling and why and shows you the answer in real time before it ever
rings. Robocalls and spam get hung up automatically. You only get bothered
when it's a real person with a real reason. 

WHY IT'S COOL: It's free, already on your phone, and there's nothing to
download. Most people have no clue their phone can do this. 

WHO IT'S FOR: Anyone drowning in spam calls. Especially handy if you run one
phone for work and life or you want your notifications to mean something.  

PRICE: Free. Built in. No app, no subscription, no upsell. 

HOW TO TURN IT ON:

iPhone (iOS 26 or newer, iPhone 11 and up): Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen
Unknown Callers > Ask Reason for Calling.

A few legitimate callers (such as  a clinic dialing from an auxiliary line)
can get caught, so check out your unknown-callers list now and then.

On iPhone,

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