If you use iMessage frequently for both work and personal, there may come times when you don't want to be disturbed by messages from people you don't know. iMessage gives you the ability to disable alerts from people that aren't in your Contacts app. You'll still receive the messages, you just won't receive audible alerts for messages from people you don't know.
How to stop getting iMessage alerts for non-contacts
- Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on Notifications.
- Scroll down and find Messages. Tap on it.
- Now scroll down towards the bottom and you'll see a section for who you receive iMessage alerts from. Tap the option for My Contacts Only.
That's it. You'll now only receive alerts for messages from people you have in your contacts. It is worth noting though that this feature only works for iMessage alerts. If someone not using iMessage sends you a regular text, you'll still receive it and get an alert.
How to get more help with iMessage
If you're having issues getting iMessage to activate, get more help at the iMore forums, and for more tips, check out:
- How to enable and activate (or re-activate) iMessage
- How to add additional email addresses to iMessage
- How to copy or forward iMessages on iPhone and iPad
- How to delete iMessages on iPhone and iPad
- How to set messages to automatically delete themselves with iMessage
- How to save space on your iPhone or iPad by setting iMessage videos to automatically delete
- How to edit the expiration of audio messages in iMessage
- How to increase privacy with iMessage
- How to send texts using iMessage
- How to use quick reply messaging with iMessage
- How to mute individual message threads in iMessage
- How to leave group messages with iMessage for iPhone and iPad
- How to send photos using iMessage
- How to quickly delete multiple images at once with iMessage
- How to send videos using iMessage
- How to send photo and video selfies in just seconds with iMessage
- How to send a quick voice message with iMessage
- How to quickly share your location using iMessage
- How to send contact cards using iMessage
- How to send map locations using iMessage
- How to send Voice Memos with iMessage
- How to report iMessage spam to Apple
- How to turn on and off read receipts in iMessage
- How to block iMessages on the iPhone or iPad
- How to block iMessages on the Mac
- How to disable iMessage on iPhone if you switch to Android
- Receiving iMessages on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus but not regular texts? Here's how to fix it!
Reader comments
How to disable iMessage alerts for people that aren't in your contacts
Hey Ally something I finally knew...LOL but thank you anyway for the ones that didn't. Never hurts to be reminded even for me.
That is a good one. Now after seeing this option I feel like "How did I miss that! Duh!" Thank you for sharing the sometimes overlooked settings/options!
Hmm.. Was this introduced in a recent update? I don't recall seeing that. Nice feature to have though.
Hmm..That's amazing. I didn't even know this existed. This is a great way to combat spam about those occasional amazing trips on a cruise. The more control, the better.
Yet another thing that imore has taught me. This is actually very helpful, too! Thanks guys.
Good one....
Good how to article. I wish it could have included an option or an alternative for blacklisting number. Where I live that is a very important feature because of extorsion issues
Great suggestion and tool.
Thanks for this tidbit! For anyone that hasn't seen it, lifehacker published an article on a jailbreak tweak I noticed in Cydia the other day that allows you to select the contacts in your list that you do / don't (my girlfriend) want read receipts for.
This is helpful.
Didn't know this option existed. Awesome
THANK YOU!!! I have been wishing for this for so long! It's as annoying as being notified on Facebook when that random person also comments on something you now regret commenting on.
I didn't know about this one, thanks! Lets hope to see this for text messages as well in the future.
Great tip! Thanks!
Great tip guys, I love that you do this rather than just news etc.
Really helpful! I love learning about new ways to reduce things that clutter up my screen without losing the stuff I do want to see. I wish too that it work on texts too.