iOS 13.3 Includes Improvements to Minimize Junk Messages

[MacRumors]

In a new support document, Apple has indicated that iOS 13.3 includes improvements to further minimize junk messages in the Messages app.

If you are trying to send a message to someone and you see an alert on your device that says the message was delivered as junk, Apple has provided some potential solutions to get around that:

- Ask the person that you're trying to message to add your phone number to their Contacts.
- Ask the person that you're trying to message to send you a message to start the conversation.
- On your device, go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and make sure that only your phone number is selected under Start New Conversations From. If your Apple ID is selected, the messages will be delivered as junk.
- If you're on an iPad or iPod touch, turn on Text Message Forwarding from your iPhone.

iOS 13.3 was publicly released earlier today.

Article Link: iOS 13.3 Includes Improvements to Minimize Junk Messages

 

[trigf]

"Ask the person that you're trying to message to send you a message to start the conversation."

How is that any different than you sending them a message to start the conversation?

 

[now i see it]

this isn't going to go down too well with the hundreds of millions of iPhone users

 

[coumerelli]

"Ask the person that you're trying to message to send you a message to start the conversation."

How is that any different than you sending them a message to start the conversation?

and would me sending THEM a message first be less likely spam? Seems backwards to me.

 

[gsmornot]

You will have to call, email or talk to the person in person to ask them to add you. Might as well just not know them anymore. Just kidding.

 

[ShadowJade]

This isn't rocket science guys. It is telling you that a new message will be displayed in your outgoing text thread, (like a read receipt), that it was delivered as junk. Meaning: someone that you are trying to text has incoming messages from unknown contacts blocked. They are suggesting that you ask them to put you in their contacts, or they begin the thread so that you can text converse going forward.
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"Ask the person that you're trying to message to send you a message to start the conversation."

How is that any different than you sending them a message to start the conversation?

You may not have unknown contacts blocked, or may already have that person in your contacts.

 

[tennisproha]

Or maybe, just maybe, they don't wanna talk to you

 

[ignatius345]

"Ask the person that you're trying to message to send you a message to start the conversation."

How is that any different than you sending them a message to start the conversation?

Heard of phone calls? Or emails? Or speaking?

 

[saudor]

this is great and all but what about regular sms. There needs to be something similar to block or send to junk any messages from “unknown” numbers like the calls

 

[Gasu E.]

Heard of phone calls? Or emails? Or speaking?

When do you think this is? 2010? Nobody "speaks" anymore, grandpa. You must be real old, like 30 or something.

 

[C DM]

this is great and all but what about regular sms. There needs to be something similar to block or send to junk any messages from “unknown” numbers like the calls

There is a way to filter such messages: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/filter-and-block-messages-iph203ab0be4/ios

 

[az431]

"Ask the person that you're trying to message to send you a message to start the conversation."

How is that any different than you sending them a message to start the conversation?

Is it really that difficult to understand why that would resolve the issue?

If someone has set up their iPhone to filter out unknown senders, they will never see your message. If they message you, the message should go through.

Of course if you have the same filter set, that may not resolve the issue, which is why Apple lists a number of alternative actions, such as them adding you to their contacts.

Use some common sense.
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this is great and all but what about regular sms. There needs to be something similar to block or send to junk any messages from “unknown” numbers like the calls

Ummm, that already exists.
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Heard of phone calls? Or emails? Or speaking?

So your solution to a person not receiving your texts is to permanently give up on that method of communication?

Or does it make more sense to resolve the issue so you can communicate via text as well as the other methods?

Geez

 

[jbachandouris]

Ask them to add you to your contacts? What is this? 1950?

 

[coolfactor]

... you see an alert on your device that says the message was delivered as junk

Huh? I've never seen this before. Never. So the sender is actually notified if the receiver's phone rates the incoming message as Junk? Is this an iOS 13.x feature?

 

[sbailey4]

Huh? I've never seen this before. Never. So the sender is actually notified if the receiver's phone rates the incoming message as Junk? Is this an iOS 13.x feature?

You wouldn't have see it before because its new to iOS 13.3.

iOS 13.3 Includes Improvements to Minimize Junk Messages

"In a new support document, Apple has indicated that iOS 13.3 includes improvements to further minimize junk messages in the Messages app."

Have a read of the support document referenced for more clarity regarding this "feature".

 

[I7guy]

Ask them to add you to your contacts? What is this? 1950?

Whitelist your contacts. What a novel idea.

 

[jonblatho]

There is a way to filter such messages: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/filter-and-block-messages-iph203ab0be4/ios

That doesn’t impact SMS. If you enable the feature, the categories are “Contacts & SMS” and “Unknown Senders.” All SMS messages, even the spammiest ones out there, go into the former. It seems unintuitive at first but actually isn’t.

First, I’m not sure if Apple’s actually allowed to mute/filter SMS messages from unknown senders, compared to blocking specific numbers. I’m not familiar with any FCC regulations along those lines and don’t really care enough to research it. But also, many people receive a lot of SMS messages from “unknown” senders, ones they never interact with, that are actually pretty important: verification codes. And while most SMS verification code messages are sent in the format that Apple expects and can use for AutoFill, which would be a good way to un-filter those messages, not all of them are. You’d wind up with people thinking they never received a code via SMS when actually the message just wasn’t formatted properly and wound up getting filtered.

 

[John.B]

Every junk message I get appears in Unknown Senders. TBH it's a worthless feature.

 

[ignatius345]

Ask them to add you to your contacts? What is this? 1950?

No, it’s 2019, a time in which spam calls/texts/emails are rampant and people use their contact lists to whitelist people they want to get past the filters. What year are you living in?

 

[Ntombi]

Every junk message I get appears in Unknown Senders. TBH it's a worthless feature.

I wish mine did!

I have an Ohio area code, even though I now live in SoCal (I've had the number for >20 years, through four states), and I get a ridiculous number of spam texts from political candidates, organizations, and pollsters.

None of them go to my “unknown senders” section. I can’t block all calls and texts from non-contacts, so I’m stuck with them for now.

 

[saudor]

There is a way to filter such messages: https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/filter-and-block-messages-iph203ab0be4/ios

That only works for imessages, not regular SMS. All the regular SMS, even with that checked on, goes to the main inbox

 

[John.B]

You wouldn't have see it before because its new to iOS 13.3.

"In a new support document, Apple has indicated that iOS 13.3 includes improvements to further minimize junk messages in the Messages app."

Have a read of the support document referenced for more clarity regarding this "feature".

Is there no way to turn off this new, worse form of read receipts?

 

[sbailey4]

Is there no way to turn off this new, worse form of read receipts?

I'm guessing not. Other than uncheck your AppleID as a "start new conversations from" to minimize it. I guess the idea is real spammers will have more of their spam automatically be flagged as junk.