How To Undo Report Junk On iPhone In iOS 16 (Turn Off?)
Are you looking for a way to undo Report Junk on iPhone? The new iOS 16 spam report setting is misleading and causing you to accidentally flag as spam a lot of texts, in the stock Messages app? Here is what you can do about it.
Accidentally Reported Text As Junk?
This shortcoming has been reported by janelle_iphone:
“Am I the only one reporting messages as junk accidentally? I feel the new feature is misleading. Is there a way to undo these reports?”
We’ve found other users complaining about accidental spam reports in Messages on Reddit:
1:
“I’ve accidentally reported messages as junk when deleting them”
2:
“What happens if I accidentally reported several messages as junk?”
3:
“Can’t tell you how many times I’ve accidentally tapped report junk that after deleting.”
Indeed, it’s easy to accidentally report messages as junk in iOS 16, because after you select to delete a message you’re automatically prompted with the spam report option and Report Junk is listed as primary at the top of the list!
How To Turn Off Reported Junk In Messages?
Unfortunately, iOS 16 doesn’t have an option in Settings that allows you to disable this feature.
We recommend you to use the tips provided below to prevent accidental junk reports.
How To Undo Report Junk On iPhone?
Sadly, this isn’t possible either in these early versions of iOS 16.
However, the good news is that you will continue to receive messages from the phone number that you’ve accidentally reported as spam. However, if you report the same number several times you might accidentally block it.
Tip: Open Settings -> Messages -> Blocked Contacts and check if the number that you’ve accidentally reported as junk is listed there. If it is swipe-left and unblock it!
How To Prevent Accidental Junk Reports In Messages?
Fact: Report Junk card is only displayed when you delete a message or an entire thread of a phone number that’s not listed as a contact!
1. Dismiss Report Junk Prompt
At the moment, the easiest way to avoid accidental spam reports is by ignoring the Report Junk / Don’t Report card.
Tip: When you’re prompted with it just tap above the inputs, in the grey area and you will dismiss it without further action.
2. Update To iOS 16.1
Apple has acknowledged that the current user interface can lead to accidental spam reports and has tweaked the interaction in iOS 16.1. This new version is currently beta tested and expected to be released by the end of October.
You can either install the public beta now or wait until the public release.
iOS 16.1 report junk prompt will come with the following options: Delete, Delete and Report Junk, Cancel. Report Junk is no longer the primary go to action!
This will most likely stop accidental reports! What do you think?
Report Junk Not Showing In Messages?
This option is not available on your iPhone running iOS 16 or later?
That’s because, at the time of writing, the feature is only available in the United States if you use Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile as carriers!
Have you managed to get used to the new iOS 16 report junk feature? Do you have a better solution or other problems to report? Share your feedback in the comments!
Related: For more new features available in Messages after iOS 16 update please check:
– Unsend Messages
– Unread Messages
What happened to basic user interface design at Apple. UI/UX/CX Design are not Rocket Science! Don’t Apple’s own people use the devices to see how badly this horrible UI choice is?
Thanks for the feedback. The good thing is that they’re reacting to feedback and are correcting things on the go.
I just accidentally reported a text as SPAM because of this change (I was acting hastily). I looked up the blocked numbers, but had no idea which of the blocked numbers might have been the one I just deleted. It would help if Apple and the carriers noted the date/time that a number was blocked so that you could easily reverse it if you made a mistake.
That makes sense. It would be a welcomed addition.
I agree. I went to my list to restore the deleted message and had so many numbers I wasn’t sure which one I accidentally junked. It’s a poor interface – the buttons are too close together. Your fingers can accidentally hit the wrong button. I wish we could turn off that feature.
Thanks for your feedback Lynn. This should be fine tuned indeed.
If Apple does actually read this blog then I’ll say this. The “report junk” “feature” is junk. You should have to work to report junk and not accidentally be able to do it constantly. Use the swipe left function and add “report junk” there so that I have to DO something to report it instead of having to avoid doing it by accident. If “reporting junk” doesn’t actually do anything unless you accidentally do it several times then it’s a useless function and should be removed entirely. I don’t know why anyone at Apple thought this function would be useful or welcomed at all. It makes no sense to anyone anywhere except someone at Apple.
Thanks for your feedback Adam. Yes, this makes sense. Let’s hope they will continue to fine tune this option.
I totally agree, it should be a multi step process to report messages as junk. I accidentally pressed report to junk, I really hope it doesn’t block future messages. At the very least, Apple should send an confirmation message once someone select this optiom.
This makes sense.
I accidentally reported a message as junk to apple that contained quite sensitive information. Do you think there is someone at Apple manually reading every message/thread as I’d quite like this to remain anonymous and am worried about it. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks, Adam
Thanks for reporting. No, I don’t think that this goes through a human inspection as long as the account is question isn’t heavily reported by multiple users as sending junk messages.
Do you think someone reads it as it’s sent to AT&T as well? Even tho it’s by accident.
If it’s just a single report, I don’t think so. Only accounts that receive multiple junk reports might be manually inspected. But I’m sure that there has to be a privacy procedure, and AT&T staff doesn’t have easy access to your texts.