Yearly, Apple updates its working programs and provides new apps and options to present ones — a lot of which we didn’t know we would have liked till we noticed them. Final fall’s iOS 26 launch was no exception.
With this new software program replace, Apple introduced many new options and instruments that make utilizing your iPhone extra frictionless than ever. Not solely that, however a few of Apple’s oldest apps additionally introduced a few actually highly effective options.
Certainly one of iOS 26’s greatest winners was Messages. Positive, at its core, it would seem like the identical previous app, however Apple added a brand new folder to retailer all these annoying spam messages that used to litter your inbox.
You most likely haven’t even seen it but, however it’s already making your iPhone clutter-free by default. Right here’s all the things you’ll want to learn about it.
Does the Messages App Have a New Spam Folder?
As quickly as you put in iOS 26 in your iPhone, you’ll see a brand new folder structure within the Messages app as a part of the options that robotically filter your conversations that can assist you deal with a very powerful ones:
- Unknown Senders will maintain all messages from senders who aren’t in your contacts or with whom you haven’t beforehand interacted. This works largely the identical because it did in iOS 18, besides that you simply now need to particularly choose it to see what’s there; the unified “All Messages” view that reveals each recognized and unknown senders in a single record is gone in iOS 26.
- Spam is a brand new folder in iOS 26 the place spam and probably distracting or dangerous messages will find yourself.
All of those messages will stay hidden, so that you don’t see a bunch of spam texts in your inbox. In fact, you may at all times open these folders to test your messages everytime you like.
The place to Discover the New Spam Folder
As we talked about, iOS 26’s spam folder is hidden in your comfort, however it’s very easy to search out. All you’ll want to do is open the Messages app. Then faucet the Filter Button within the top-right nook of your display.
From there, faucet on Spam, and also you’ll be redirected to your spam folder, alongside your entire messages that have been thought of spam.
Professional Tip: In case you’re operating a third-party app that provides message filtering extensions, resembling Malwarebytes, you might also see folders for Transactions and Promotions. These are used completely by these third-party filters to offer further sorting.
Find out how to Display Unknown Numbers within the Messages App
By default, your iPhone filters spam, however it doesn’t mark unknown senders as spam from the beginning. For that, you’ll must handle your filtering settings. Right here’s how:
- From the Messages app, faucet the filter Button within the high proper nook of your display.
- Faucet on Handle Filtering.
- It will take you to your iPhone Settings. From there, below Unknown Senders, activate Display Unknown Senders.
And that’s it, this can ship all messages from unknown senders straight to your Unknown Senders folder. You received’t even obtain any notifications anymore.
With that stated, you would possibly need to nonetheless obtain notifications from essential senders that you simply haven’t added to your contacts record. As an example, you’ll most likely need to get time-sensitive notifications like verification codes. For that, you may faucet on Permit Notifications and allow Time Delicate and Different Unknown.
Find out how to Obtain Messages From Unknown Senders
Even when iOS 26’s new screening system is a superb new function, it would work too properly for its personal good. What we imply is that there is perhaps instances whenever you obtain a message from an unknown quantity that’s really essential to you.
If that occurs, it’s best to mark that unknown sender as a recognized sender to make sure you obtain future messages in your primary inbox. Replying to a message from an unknown sender will robotically mark them as recognized, but when these are merely notifications that you simply need to obtain, you’ll must particularly tag them as recognized. There are two methods to do that:
- You’ll be able to add the sender to your contacts record. It will make it simpler to determine and discover, so make sure to use this with pals, household, and coworkers.
- In case you don’t need to add a sender however nonetheless need to obtain messages from them, you may mark them as recognized senders. To do that, merely open the message from the particular person you need after which faucet Mark as Identified on the backside of the dialog.
Conversely, you may faucet Delete to take away the message, with an choice to report it as spam, rising the chance that future messages from the identical sender will go straight to your Spam folder as an alternative.
You are able to do the identical with messages that find yourself in your Spam folder by tapping Not Spam as an alternative. Notice you can’t reply to a spam message; you’ll need to mark it as “Not Spam” first.
Professional Tip: You’ll be able to handle your record of recognized senders within the Contacts or Cellphone app by tapping the arrow within the top-right nook of your contacts record and choosing Different Identified. This lets you successfully whitelist automated companies like financial institution alerts or supply updates with out cluttering up your contacts.
Let Your iPhone Deal With the Spam
Spam messages are a dime a dozen. At greatest, they’re simply annoying, however at worst, they may very well be the start of a phishing rip-off that tries to steal all of your information. For sure, nobody desires to take care of them.
Fortunately, Apple now provides your iPhone the mandatory instruments so it will possibly take care of it for you. Is it excellent? In all probability not, however it’ll make it easier to keep secure and unbothered by annoying notifications from presumably harmful sources.
In case you don’t get messages from individuals you don’t have in your contacts record fairly often, the Messages app’s new screening function is the right strategy to handle the litter with out a lot effort.