iOS 26: Messages app with better spam filter
So far, Apple's fight against message spam has been lukewarm – Junk gets through far too often. This is set to change with iOS 26.
New features in iMessage in iOS 26.
(Image: Apple)
Spam via iMessage is a general problem: it costs almost nothing for the sender and some users consider the "blue" messages in Apple's Messages app to be more trustworthy than the green-colored SMS (and more recently RCS messages). Apple does allow unknown senders to be filtered, junk messages to be reported and their senders to be blocked. However, the technology is very rudimentary – and many users are unaware of it. With iOS 26, there will now be several improvements. For example, Apple is planning to screen iMessage messages so that they do not appear in the first place.
Filter and anti-spam function
If messages are detected as possible spam in future, they can be hidden if the screening function is activated. This means that you will no longer receive a notification and the messages will end up in a separate section of the app that you first have to open. Apple has also integrated a new filter function.
In future, there will be four different types of notifications: Normal messages, those from unknown senders, possible spam and messages that have recently been deleted. The corresponding checkboxes can be activated on the start screen of the Messages app. It is not yet possible to say how well Apple's own spam filter works. Usually, such a filter can go in two directions if it works less well: Either it filters too little or too much. A good solution is that the filter button shows an animation when a message has been filtered out – so you can still be alerted to such a message without it being too annoying.
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Also screen phone calls
Another anti-spam function relates to phone calls in iOS 26. In the future, it will be possible to receive AI-controlled calls from unknown numbers. The system called Call Screening then asks the caller who they are and what the call is about, and uses speech recognition to display the information on the screen. This allows you to decide whether you want to pick up.
It is commendable that Call Screening will not only work in English from the outset, but also in German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and various other languages.
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