Is there a way to filter text messages from known contacts on an iPhone?
June 19, 2024 7:10 AM Subscribe
Is there an app/technology out there that would allow me to filter (but bot block) text messages from selective known contacts (i.e. a specific family member, or friend)?
I do not want to block this person(s), but rather would like for any messages that they send to automatically filter to a "folder". I am hoping that there is technology out there that would filter messages from those senders I select to a folder that I can open and read at my leisure when I am ready. I do not want to receive notifications that there is anything in that folder. I'd like to set this up on all my synced Apple devices (iPhone, MacBook, iPad).
I would like to continue to receive notifications and texts in the default/regular way from all other known and unknown contacts and for the new filter not to interfere with that.
Thank you.
I do not want to block this person(s), but rather would like for any messages that they send to automatically filter to a "folder". I am hoping that there is technology out there that would filter messages from those senders I select to a folder that I can open and read at my leisure when I am ready. I do not want to receive notifications that there is anything in that folder. I'd like to set this up on all my synced Apple devices (iPhone, MacBook, iPad).
I would like to continue to receive notifications and texts in the default/regular way from all other known and unknown contacts and for the new filter not to interfere with that.
Thank you.
Yeah, you can simply mute any text conversation. I do it all the time with group texts that are WAAAY too chatty. Just go into the text thread and look for a bell or mute symbol or something (I'm on Android but surely iPhone has the same thing). You can still read them any time -- you just won't get notifications. I suggest trying that first before going all the way down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out a "filter" or "folder" solution. Just not getting notifications could be enough for you.
On Sunday, an actress won a Tony award, and as she stepped up to the mic to give her speech, she couldn't see the notes on her phone due to the sudden flood of notifications, and muttered "you people, stop texting me" ...
posted by intermod at 9:31 AM on June 19
On Sunday, an actress won a Tony award, and as she stepped up to the mic to give her speech, she couldn't see the notes on her phone due to the sudden flood of notifications, and muttered "you people, stop texting me" ...
posted by intermod at 9:31 AM on June 19
Response by poster: Thanks, folks. I know how to hide alerts and mute convos. It's the filter/folder solution that I need at this time.
posted by AlmondEyes at 11:42 AM on June 19
posted by AlmondEyes at 11:42 AM on June 19
There is no way to do this with Apple's Messages app, assuming that is the one you are asking about. That is the only app that can receive SMS on iPhone as far as I'm aware (and definitely the only one that can receive iMessages, if that's what you were referring to).
There's a way for apps to work with Messages to filter SMS from unknown senders but they can't touch SMS from known senders (i.e. in your contacts) or iMessages, known or unknown. And even with unknown SMS, the only options are basically send it to junk or classify it as a promotion or transaction. (Though I have never seen categories for those on my iPhone, so I'm not sure whether that's actually implemented?)
posted by tubedogg at 12:29 PM on June 19
There's a way for apps to work with Messages to filter SMS from unknown senders but they can't touch SMS from known senders (i.e. in your contacts) or iMessages, known or unknown. And even with unknown SMS, the only options are basically send it to junk or classify it as a promotion or transaction. (Though I have never seen categories for those on my iPhone, so I'm not sure whether that's actually implemented?)
posted by tubedogg at 12:29 PM on June 19
Yes, the only way to currently filter texts out of your main inbox is by marking it as spam. The texts will then appear in the spam view, but not your main inbox. There are a number of apps in the App Store that will allow you to set up custom spam filters for your texts.
posted by bluloo at 7:17 PM on June 19
posted by bluloo at 7:17 PM on June 19
There is a way to do it in terms of a filter, if I understand correctly what you are asking. I don't think there is a way to do it with a "folder." Here is what you do on an iPhone:
Go to Focus menu, click on the + sign and create a new Focus category (name it whatever you want, let's say Cat). Then once it's set up, go into it, click "Choose People" and add the person (let's say Bob) to that Focus, click "silence notifications from" and then when you turn that Focus filter on in your iMessages, if Bob texts you, it simply won't show up in your messages until you turn the filter off. When you turn it off, you will see the text from Bob where it would be otherwise in terms of the timeline of texts received.
So while you can't consign texts from Bob to a folder, this will create a set-up where you won't block them, but you won't be notified of any messages from them, or have to deal with them until you choose to do so. It won't affect anything else about any of your other contacts.
If you have "share across devices" enabled for your filters if you want this set up on all of them.
posted by virve at 8:12 PM on June 19
Go to Focus menu, click on the + sign and create a new Focus category (name it whatever you want, let's say Cat). Then once it's set up, go into it, click "Choose People" and add the person (let's say Bob) to that Focus, click "silence notifications from" and then when you turn that Focus filter on in your iMessages, if Bob texts you, it simply won't show up in your messages until you turn the filter off. When you turn it off, you will see the text from Bob where it would be otherwise in terms of the timeline of texts received.
So while you can't consign texts from Bob to a folder, this will create a set-up where you won't block them, but you won't be notified of any messages from them, or have to deal with them until you choose to do so. It won't affect anything else about any of your other contacts.
If you have "share across devices" enabled for your filters if you want this set up on all of them.
posted by virve at 8:12 PM on June 19
I use an app called Bouncer that filters junk texts into a folder marked Junk. The limitation here is that you cannot customize the folder name, there are only six or so to choose from when you set up a filtering rule. I'm not sure, but I think it might work using a contact/sender name.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 4:55 AM on June 20
posted by Short Attention Sp at 4:55 AM on June 20
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posted by Roger Pittman at 8:49 AM on June 19