How to block an area code on an iPhone

I have tried this on iPhone 15 pro max and saving the contact as :

+1 <Area code>

Worked for me:



Apple cannot do this. Ask your phone service provider.

They can certainly do this, but whether or not they will will be open to question.

Perhaps this technique worked for older versions of iOS, but there is no longer a "Block" button in the contacts page.

You are correct. After a week I realized the app wasn't helping at all for area codes alone.

Anotherdeafguy wrote:

Tried that, wasn't seeing any "Block this Caller" option under the contact. Forced closed Contacts and re-checked the contact, still not there. Checked other contacts, and it was under any of those either, even though I remember seeing it before.

Try swiping down further.

Went to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts, and I have a fairly long list of blocked contacts that I've collected over more than a decade, so I deleted a bunch that hopefully won't still be trying to spam me, and then went back to Contacts, and lo! Now the "Block this Caller" appeared for that area code's entry.

Apparently the Blocked Contacts list only allows a limited number of entries, ~36?

No, there doesn't appear to be a limit. I stopped counting mine and 60 and there were a lot left.

ridgecritter wrote:

As noted earlier, this does not work. Is there a third-party app that will block an entire area code?

I believe some of the third-party apps will do this. Search for "call block" or similar in the App Store.

some third party apps I have tried (eg Number Shield), say, they can block an entire area code. But in reality they dont "block" it, they "silence" the call, which means they just redirect it to voicemail. Similar to when you set "Silence Unknown Callers". In addition the apps generally only allow a few million numbers to be "silenced". So to silence a entire area code counts as 10 million numbers.

One thing they haven't told you....Create a new contact with just +1 (XXX) where XXX is the area code you want to Block. Add nothing more to this Contact info.

Then go to Settings and scroll down to Phone, then Blocked Contacts. Scroll to the very last number listed in the Blocked Contacts list. Press the "Add New"... option. It will take you to your contacts list. Scroll to the bottom of your contacts list and find the +1 (XXX) Contact that you created previously. Touch that number +1 (XXX), and it will automatically add it to the Blocked Contacts List in your Settings. Now it should block all those numbers that come from the Area Code.

How to block a area code

As noted earlier, this does not work. Is there a third-party app that will block an entire area code?

App called Number Shield works well

Try Number shield only cost 2.99 works great

Another vote for Number Shield. After reading the recommendations above, I ordered and installed it. Works great!

Did you put in 872-###-####. I have 512-###-#### and it stops it from getting a ring but it still goes yo voice mail. Let me know if it works

You are correct. After a week I realized the app wasn't helping at all for area codes alone. That, or I wasn't using the app correctly. But I don't think that's the case.