NoScams
NoScams vs iPhone's built-in spam filtering
Updated October 23, 2026
Turn on Apple's filters either way: they're free and built in. Apple's Spam filter quietly catches obvious junk, and Screen Unknown Senders keeps texts from numbers you don't know out of your main list. NoScams adds scam-specific rules that tell you why a text is a scam, and free checks for any text, email, link, or screenshot.
This comparison is written by NoScams, and Apple's filters are worth using whether or not you use our app.
What iPhone does on its own (free)
- Spam folder. On iOS 26 and later, Filter Spam is on by default. Messages Apple detects as spam go to a Spam folder without notifying you, and links in them stay off until you move the message to your inbox.
- Screen Unknown Senders. When you turn it on, texts from numbers you don't know go to a separate Unknown Senders list. Time-sensitive messages like verification codes still notify you.
- Report Spam and block. You can report a text under the message and block the sender.
What it doesn't do
- It doesn't tell you why. Messages land in folders, but you don't see the reasons.
- It doesn't check something on demand. There's no built-in "is this a scam?" check you can paste a message into.
- Screening isn't the same as judging. Screen Unknown Senders moves every unknown sender out of the way, including your new dentist and the plumber texting back. It doesn't separate the scams from the real ones.
What NoScams adds
| iPhone on its own | iPhone with NoScams | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Checks free; automatic filtering from $1.99/month or $29.99 once |
| Catches obvious junk | Yes (Spam folder) | Yes |
| Scam-specific rules | General spam detection | Rules for the scams going around now (fake tolls, deliveries, banks), updated as new scams appear |
| Tells you why | No | Yes, for every verdict |
| Check any text, email, link, or screenshot | No | Yes, free |
| Avoids hiding real messages | Screening hides every unknown sender | Only clear scams are filtered; codes and messages linking to the company's real website are never filtered |
| Privacy | Apple says its Transactions and Promotions sorting sends nothing to Apple (on by default only in Brazil and India) | Every check runs on your iPhone; nothing is collected |
The best setup
Use both. Keep Apple's Filter Spam on, turn on Screen Unknown Senders if you don't mind a separate list, and add a text message filter app for scam-specific protection. Here's how to set up filtering on iPhone.
NoScams is coming soon to the App Store. You can check any text free right now with our scam text checker.
Questions
Is the iPhone spam filter turned on by default?
On iOS 26 and later, Filter Spam is on by default. Screen Unknown Senders is off by default unless you had Filter Unknown Senders on before you upgraded.
Does iPhone tell you why a text is spam?
Apple's filters sort messages into folders but don't explain their reasons. NoScams shows the reasons behind every verdict, like a link that imitates USPS or a fake deadline.
Do I have to choose between Apple's filters and NoScams?
No. Screen Unknown Senders and a text message filter app are both turned on from the same Manage Filtering menu in Messages.