How to Check Voicemails from Blocked Numbers on an iPhone

We'll show you how to find blocked voicemails on your iPhone, and discuss what to do if you're being harassed by a blocked contact.

By Leanne Hays Updated 03/30/2022

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We've gone over how to know if someone blocked your number and how to block a phone number on the iPhone, which includes how to block calls and text messages, but can you still get voicemails from blocked callers on your iPhone? Yes, in some cases you can. We'll show you how to see these voicemails and what to do once you find them.

How to Check Voicemails from Blocked Numbers

When you block a number on an iPhone, your device goes blessedly silent, preventing you from having to deal with the blocked caller anymore. But what happens if a blocked caller leaves a voicemail? Well, if your carrier allows it, you will receive a voicemail to a special, segregated folder on your iPhone. From there you can listen to the message or delete it straight away.

Important note: This tip won't work for everyone. For example, when Verizon was my carrier I could see calls and hear messages from blocked contacts, but now that I'm with US Cellular the feature is no longer available. Certain carriers handle blocked calls differently, so if you have questions, it's best to contact your cellular carrier.

If you'd like to learn more tips about how to manage your contacts and other aspects of your iPhone, check out our Tip of the Day newsletter.

Here's how to find a voicemail from a blocked caller:

Make sure the blocked person's information is in your contacts so that you can identify voicemails from them without having to actually listen to them.
Open the iPhone's Phone app.
Tap Voicemail in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Scroll down until you see the Blocked Messages section at the bottom, and tap on it. (If you do not see Blocked Messages, you haven't received any voicemails from blocked numbers.)
Now you'll see any voicemails that blocked callers have left on your iPhone.
You can tap on the message to see a transcription, although this doesn't work with every message.
You can also listen to the message if you want to, or delete the message.

What to Do Now: Stalking & Cyberbullying?

Once you have this information, you'll need to decide what to do next. In my case, even though this individual kept calling for almost a year after I blocked him, I decided that I could keep ignoring the messages as they were in no way violent. If, however, someone is leaving you threatening messages, or messages claiming they're suicidal, you should report them immediately. Also, keep the messages as evidence; you never know when you'll need it! Follow this link for more resources for stalking victims, and stay safe out there! Have you been receiving a lot of spam? You can also learn how to block spam text messages from email accounts.

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Author Details

Leanne Hays

Leanne Hays is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, and has written hundreds of in-depth how-to and troubleshooting articles. She's a former Associate Editor for iPhone Life magazine, and has written for the Iowa Source, as well as web content for education marketing. Leanne has an associate's degree in education, with a focus on curriculum development, as well as a bachelor's degree in science. She has over nine years of experience with SEO, social media management, and web development and writing. Despite years of web work, Leanne is by no means an early adapter; she's only owned a smartphone for five years, which makes her highly sympathetic to the learning curve of new iPhone owners. She enjoys making reader's lives easier and putting her education experience to work by walking them through the most practical ways to use Apple devices, step-by-step.

In off-work hours, Leanne is a mother of two, homesteader, audiobook fanatic, musician, and learning enthusiast.

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