Overview
- Users can enable Call Screening in Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers after updating to iOS 26.
- Three modes are offered: Never, Ask Reason for Calling, and Silence, with the latter sending unknown numbers directly to voicemail.
- Calls from saved contacts and recent outgoing numbers bypass screening and ring as usual.
- When screening is active, the iPhone plays a prompt to unknown callers and shows their response in real time so users can answer, ignore, or block.
- All caller prompts and transcriptions are processed on the device as part of the redesigned Phone app, preserving privacy without cloud processing.