If you’re an iOS user, you’re likely to be accustomed to tapping “Report spam” every time you receive a spam iMessage, which sends the information directly to Apple. MacRumors reported that spam will soon be included in the iOS 16 beta 2 reporting feature, which was released today for developers and will be released to the public this July. Apple is only implementing the feature for certain operators, but has not specified which ones.
Users who mark SMS as spam will send the text number and content to both Apple and the operator of their phone or device. Reporting unwanted text messages to a phone carrier usually requires forwarding the entire message to a four-digit number (which most people will probably need to look for), so include this feature in the next iOS update. will save users one step. Reporting a spam message does not block the number, so users will still have to do it manually.
If you’ve noticed an increase in suspicious texts offering free gift cards or unsolicited package delivery alerts, you’re not imagining things. Spam and scam SMS messages are on the rise, in part due to data breaches and software availability that makes it easier for scammers to send these messages in bulk. Nearly 12 billion spam messages were sent to the U.S. in May, according to an estimate by the RoboKiller spam blocking app.
If you’re nervous about installing the beta version of iOS 16, just wait a while: Apple is expected to officially release iOS 16 to the public in the fall.