# Apple’s Messages App: Upgrades in iOS 26 with ‘Screen Unknown Senders’
Apple’s Messages app has seen considerable enhancements with the arrival of iOS 26, bringing a range of new features aimed at improving user experience and minimizing unwanted spam. A prominent addition is the ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ option, created to effectively filter spam texts. While early encounters with this feature may differ, tweaking certain settings can enhance its effectiveness.
## ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ Organizes Your Messages for Spam
As part of its continuous battle against spam, Apple has included the ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ functionality in the Messages app. This feature detects potential spam messages and separates them into a specific section, accessible through an icon located in the upper-right corner of the Messages interface.
A key feature of this tool is that messages marked as spam do not generate push notifications. Instead, they are kept in the ‘Unknown Senders’ section, enabling users to review potential spam at their own pace without interruption from alerts.
Users are free to deactivate ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ altogether, returning to the prior messaging setup. Nevertheless, Apple offers helpful filtering options to customize the feature according to personal preferences.
## Adjusting a Crucial Setting Enhanced Messages Filters for Me
At first, upon utilizing iOS 26, several users, including myself, enabled ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ with its most limiting settings. This setup permitted notifications only for messages considered urgent, such as verification codes or critical alerts.
Gradually, I found it frustrating as I overlooked significant messages from senders I wished to hear from. While considering turning off the feature, I remembered the filtering settings offered within the app’s settings.
By going to Settings ⇾ Apps ⇾ Messages, I stumbled upon the ‘Allow Notifications’ menu under the Unknown Senders category, which only shows up when ‘Screen Unknown Senders’ is activated.
In this menu, users can switch on alerts for four different types of screened messages:
– **Time Sensitive**: Alerts for urgent inquiries and verification codes.
– **Personal**: Messages not sent by businesses or organizations.
– **Transactions**: Updates on orders, receipts, and confirmations.
– **Promotions**: General offers and communications sent to multiple recipients.
Initially, I had simply activated the ‘Time Sensitive’ option, but I recognized that turning on ‘Personal’ would help resolve my issue with missed messages.
Since making this change, the Messages app’s screening capabilities have greatly improved my experience. I now get notifications for messages from genuine contacts while still filtering out undesirable spam. This equilibrium keeps me informed without being bombarded by unnecessary alerts.
## Conclusion
The newly introduced screening tools in Apple’s Messages app, launched in iOS 26, provide an effective method for handling spam while ensuring essential communications aren’t missed. By personalizing notification settings, users can improve their messaging experience and maintain better control over their inbox.
Are you taking advantage of the new screening tools in Messages? Share your thoughts and any tips in the comments.
