Overview

• When an unsaved number rings, the iPhone quietly answers, asks the caller for their name and reason, transcribes the reply, and then lets you choose to pick up, text, or ignore.
• Users can select three modes in Settings → Apps → Phone: Never, Ask Reason for Calling, or Silence that sends unknown numbers to voicemail.
• A new Unknown Callers list and a Spam list work alongside carrier labeling to keep screened and flagged calls out of the main call history.
• Any screened number can be marked as Known so future calls and texts from that contact bypass screening across Phone, FaceTime, and Messages.
• The feature works on devices updated to iOS 26, including older iPhones, but only in supported languages and regions such as English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese locales.