How do I see all the numbers I’ve blocked on my iPhone?

Tips
1

I’m trying to find the full list of phone numbers I’ve blocked on my iPhone but I can’t remember where that setting is buried in iOS. I’ve accidentally blocked a couple of contacts and now I’m missing calls and texts. Can someone walk me through where to tap in Settings to view and manage all my blocked numbers, and if it’s different for calls, messages, and FaceTime?

2

iOS hides this stuff pretty deep, so you’re not the only one digging around for it.

Here is how to see and edit all blocked numbers on iPhone:

  1. For phone calls
    • Open Settings
    • Tap Phone
    • Tap Blocked Contacts
    • You will see the full list of blocked numbers and contacts
    • To unblock, swipe left on a number and tap Unblock
    • To add a new one, hit Add New and pick a contact

  2. For messages
    The same list is used for calls and texts, but the path is here too:
    • Settings
    • Messages
    • Tap Blocked Contacts

  3. For FaceTime
    Again, same shared list:
    • Settings
    • FaceTime
    • Blocked Contacts

If you blocked a saved contact by accident, it shows as their name, not the phone number, which is easy to miss.

If you want to double check filters in Messages:
• Settings
• Messages
• Turn off Filter Unknown Senders if you think texts are getting filtered there too

One more spot that confuses people:
• Settings
• Phone
• Silence Unknown Callers
If this is on, calls from numbers not in Contacts, Siri Suggestions, or Recent Outgoing get sent to voicemail without ringing. Those numbers are not in your block list, but it feels similar, so worth checking.

If none of this lines up, mention your iOS version, since Apple keeps moving menu names a bit between releases.

3

Couple extra angles to check that @suenodelbosque didn’t hit directly:

  1. Quick “am I blocked or just filtered” test
    Grab someone you think you might’ve blocked and have them:

    • Call you
    • Text you
      Blocked: calls go straight to voicemail, and texts never show up at all.
      Filtered: calls might still ring silently or go to voicemail, texts might land under “Unknown Senders” in Messages.

  2. Check if you accidentally blocked via recent calls
    A lot of “whoops I blocked them” happens from the Recents list in Phone:

    • Open Phone → Recents
    • Look for the little circled “i” on the right
    • Tap that on people you’re suspicious about
    • Scroll down and see if it says “Unblock this Caller”
      If it says “Unblock,” they’re in your blocked list even if you forgot doing it.

  3. Cross check contact cards
    If you blocked someone from their contact card, it can be easier to spot from there than from the global list:

    • Open Contacts
    • Pick the person you’re missing calls/texts from
    • Scroll down
    • If you see “Unblock this Caller,” they’re blocked for all numbers on that card (including email for FaceTime/iMessage).

  4. Multiple numbers for one person
    iOS treats each phone/email entry separately, but the Contacts UI can be confusing:

    • If a person has 2 phone numbers and you only blocked one from Recents, only that specific number is blocked.
    • In the blocked list, you might only see one number, while you’re expecting their whole name, so it’s easy to miss.

  5. iMessage vs regular SMS weirdness
    If the person uses iMessage and SMS:

    • Blocking hits both, but if they recently changed numbers or turned off iMessage, that new number might not be blocked, even if the old one is.
    • Check both their old and new entries in your Recents / Messages threads.

So yeah, use the Blocked Contacts list like @suenodelbosque described, but also manually open the specific contact cards and Recents entries for the people you’re missing. Half the time the “mystery” is a single number on a contact being blocked while the rest looks fine.

4

Couple of extra angles that @waldgeist and @suenodelbosque did not really lean into:

  1. Do a “who exactly am I missing?” audit

    • Open Phone → Recents and scroll for people you know should have called recently (family, work, etc.).
    • For each, tap the “i” and look for “Unblock this Caller.”
    • This is faster than staring at the giant Blocked Contacts list trying to guess who’s who.

  2. Check per-conversation in Messages
    Sometimes the block happened directly from a message thread.

    • Open Messages.
    • Open the thread for someone you suspect.
    • Tap their name or number at the top → Info.
    • If you see “Unblock this Caller,” they are blocked for that phone/iMessage combo.
      This is especially handy when the global Blocked list shows only a number and you do not recognize it.

  3. Watch out for multiple numbers per person
    Contacts with “mobile,” “work,” and another cell can be half‑blocked without you realizing.

    • On a contact card, tap and hold each number, then “Message” or “Call.”
    • If only one specific number goes straight to voicemail or never delivers SMS, that one is blocked somewhere in Recents or the main block list.
      This is one reason people think “I see their name is not in Blocked, so everything’s fine,” when in reality just one number is flagged.

  4. Test vs unknown filters, not just blocks
    I slightly disagree with only treating the Blocked list as the culprit. In practice, Message filters and Silence Unknown Callers break more calls and texts than the actual block list for many users. Quick test:

    • Temporarily turn off Silence Unknown Callers and Filter Unknown Senders.
    • Have the person call and text again.
      If they suddenly get through, your problem is more “aggressive filtering” than blocking.

  5. Backup before mass unblocking
    If your list is huge and you are about to start unblocking a bunch of entries to troubleshoot, at least grab a quick backup via iCloud or Finder so you can restore if you accidentally open the floodgates to spam. It is overkill for most people but safer than losing your carefully curated list.

On that “product title” angle, a concise guide titled something like “How Do I See All the Numbers I’ve Blocked on My iPhone?” actually helps with this kind of problem because:

Pros

  • Puts all the Phone / Messages / FaceTime block locations in one place.
  • Can include screenshots so you visually recognize menus.
  • Handy to share with friends and family who keep asking the same thing.

Cons

  • iOS menu wording shifts over versions, so any static guide dates quickly.
  • People may rely on it and miss device‑specific quirks like carrier spam filters or Focus modes.

Compared with the breakdown from @waldgeist (who covered the main system paths) and the checks from @suenodelbosque (who focused more on testing what is actually blocked vs filtered), the most reliable approach is to combine all three:

  • Use the Blocked Contacts list for the overview.
  • Use Recents and individual contact cards to catch one‑off blocked numbers.
  • Temporarily loosen filters and Silence Unknown Callers to see if the issue is really blocking or something else.