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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoPlainText>How to enable "Silence Unknown Callers”, on your iPhone:, and more phone features: Rita’s iDevice advice for August 3, 2026<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>your iPhone can direct Unknown calls directly to your voicemail, with out your phone ringing. You can review any voicemails that were recorded later. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Note: If you are using VoiceOver: when the instructions say "Tap on an item", perform a one finger double tap gesture.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Open the Settings app.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Tap Apps.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Select Phone in the app list (or use the search bar).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Under Screen Unknown Callers; select either Ask Reason for Calling, or Silence.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Call Screening:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>To turn this on go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers > Ask Reason for Calling.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Another description for screening unknown calls:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Hold Assist:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Further comments:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Also, in unified view, you can use the Filter option to see only voicemails, just missed calls, and other options.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>=======<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>AI call screener feature:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Taken from a Kim Komando news letter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>PRICE: Free. Built in. No app, no subscription, no upsell. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>HOW TO TURN IT ON:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>iPhone (iOS 26 or newer, iPhone 11 and up): Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers > Ask Reason for Calling.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On iPhone,<span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>