iPhone XR – How to Block Calls

Cellphones have had a profound impact on our personal relationships. Since our phones are always in use, there’s an expectation that we’ll always stay on call. This makes it hard to draw boundaries in our personal lives.

Being able to block a number can help you enforce boundaries with overbearing acquaintances. You can use this function to finally get some downtime.

Blocking can also make it easier to cope with a bad breakup. It’s the best solution for various uncomfortable personal situations. Most importantly, it can help you put an end to stalking or harassment.

How Do You Block Individual Callers on Your iPhone XR?

There are several ways to block a number that’s been bothering you. If you want to block one of your existing contacts, here is what you need to do:

1. Open the Contacts App
2. Find the Number That You Want to Block
3. Select the Information Button
4. Select Block This Caller
5. Confirm the Block

If the caller isn’t in your Contacts yet, you can easily add them to the list. Just follow these steps:

1. Open the Phone App
2. Tap on Recent Calls
3. Select the Number That You Wish to Block
4. Copy It
5. Go into Contacts from Your Home Screen
6. Tap on the Plus Sign to Add the Number
7. Paste the Number and Add a Name

Then you can repeat the steps from above and block them from your contacts.

How to Manage Your Block List

If you want to see the full list of numbers you’ve blocked, go here: Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. You can also paste a number directly into the list.

How Do You Block Multiple People at the Same Time?

It’s not possible to block unknown callers from the blocklist. Instead, you can use the Do Not Disturb function to select the people who have access to you.

You have two ways to turn on Do Not Disturb.

1. From the Control Center: Tap and hold the crescent moon icon on the control center. Note that short taps will merely turn the function on and off.
2. From Your iPhone’s Settings: You can also go into Settings > Do Not Disturb.

Whichever option you go for, you can customize this function to fit your needs. For example, you can set up a daily schedule for the times when you’re unavailable. You can silence repeated calls from the same person if they happen within 180 seconds.

But the most important customization tool is the Allow Calls From option. This lets you select the people whose calls you want to take. Everyone else’s calls will be silenced.

For example, you can allow calls only from your contacts. As a result, you can avoid getting notified of calls from unknown numbers.

A Final Thought

Once you have mastered the block function, don’t hesitate to use it liberally. You deserve the chance to avoid uncomfortable calls.

However, the above methods aren’t great at filtering calls by content. If you want to get rid of telemarketers and other spammers, you will have to download a third-party app instead.

For example, you can get CallerSmart from the Apple store. This app lets you investigate unknown numbers and ignore junk calls of any kind.