How to use iOS 17's new Call Reasons feature

Technology Oct 08, 2025

Apple has introduced iOS 17 or later, and its new Call Reasons feature is here to make dealing with unknown callers way less annoying.
Now, if someone not in your contacts tries to call, they'll be asked to say why—and you'll see a live transcription of their answer before picking up.
It's a simple way to spot spam since robocallers rarely give real reasons.

How to enable 'Ask to share call reason'

To enable Call Reasons, head to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers and turn on "Ask to Share Call Reason. "
It works for voice calls on iPhones running iOS 17 or newer and only screens numbers not saved in your contacts—so friends and family can still reach you as usual.
This little upgrade helps protect your privacy and keeps your calls manageable without much hassle.