Frequently asked questions
How do I enable Text Spam Arrest on my iPhone?
What happens to my existing messages on my iPhone?
Do I need to enter keywords to keep up with the latest spams?
What are the various categories under which SMS/MMS messages are sorted?
I would like to customize these folders. How can I do that?
Do I need to run the Spam Arrest app in the background?
How can I report messages that are missed by your filter?
Q: How do I enable Text Spam Arrest on my iPhone?
After installing the app, go to your iPhone Settings (ie outside the app)->Messages->Unknown & Spam. Click on the "Filter Unknown Senders" button. Then choose "Text Spam Arrest"
To confirm these settings, now open your Apple Messages app. You should see all the folders like below:
Q: >What happens to my existing messages on my iPhone?
All current messages are divided between the "Known Senders" & "Unknown Senders" folders.
Q: Do I need to enter keywords to keep up with the latest spams?
No - we do that work for you. Our AI models understand the nuances of the English language (& all other major languages). So, it can spot spams and keep up with the latest ones.
Q: What are the various categories under which SMS/MMS messages are sorted?
Apple provides a set of Folder names that Spam Arrest creates by default. Here is how we classify messages from Unknown senders (not in your contacts list):
- Promotions: Offers, promos, rewards for products or services
- Transactions: All other messages in one of the Subcategories below
- Finance: Banking, Credit, Debit
- Orders: Purchase orders say from Amazon or Walmart
- Reminders: Appointment or booking reminders
- Health: Doctor, Dentist or Vet messages
- Weather: Earthquake or weather alerts
- Carrier: Your Internet or Wireless provider messages
Q: I would like to customize these folders. How can I do that?
Apple does not permit users to customize folder names. The current subset of Apple provided folders installed by Spam Arrest looks like this:
Q: Do I need to run the Spam Arrest app in the background?
No. The Spam Arrest app installs an extension. The Apple iOS system runs this in the background for you. This extension scans and filters all your incming SMS/MMS messages.
Q: How can I report messages that are missed by your filter?
The Spam Arrest app has an Email tab. Click it to open a prefilled email template. You can take a screenshot of the offending suspicious message. And paste it here. We will add it to our filters so that future attempts are blocked. The app itself looks like this:
Last Updated: 27 January 2023