Overview

• A leaked NRSC memo warned that iOS 26’s rumored message filter could siphon $25 million from the committee and up to $500 million from GOP fundraising.
• Apple confirmed the feature debuted in iOS 13 and that its screening criteria—unsaved contacts or no prior reply—remain unchanged.
• The toggle has been renamed from “Filter Unknown Senders” to “Screen Unknown Senders” without altering default behavior.
• iOS 26 adds a persistent filter button in the top-right corner of Messages that displays a badge with new unknown-sender message counts.
• The system now separates suspected spam from legitimate unknown-sender texts, improving clutter-free access for users who opt in and benefiting legitimate senders.