CallKit: Blocked Calls Appearing as Unanswered in iOS 18

Hello Apple Developer Community,

I'm developing a call-blocking app for iOS and have encountered an issue with iOS 18. Despite calls being successfully blocked by our app's Call Directory extension, they are still appearing as unanswered calls in the native Phone app.

Details:

  • iOS version: 18
  • App uses CallKit and Call Directory extension
  • Calls are blocked successfully (not ringing on device)
  • Blocked calls show up as "Unanswered" in Phone app's recent calls list

Expected behavior: Blocked calls should not appear in the Phone app's recent calls list.

Actual behavior: Blocked calls appear as "Unanswered" in the recent calls list.

Expected behavior: Blocked calls should not appear in the Phone app's recent calls list.

Actual behavior: Blocked calls appear as "Unanswered" in the recent calls list.

I think this was the intended behavior, so your best option is to file an enhancement request asking for the behavior to change.

__
Kevin Elliott
DTS Engineer, CoreOS/Hardware

We've filed a report and hope for this behavior to change as it looks more than a bug rather than a normal behavior.

Many of our users are confused by this behavior, expecting blocked calls to disappear entirely.

Showing blocked calls as unanswered seems to go against the user's intent when blocking a number.

We've filed a report and hope for this behavior to change as it looks more than a bug rather than a normal behavior.

What's the feedback number?

__
Kevin Elliott
DTS Engineer, CoreOS/Hardware

Thank you for following up. The feedback number is: FB15163490

I appreciate your attention to this matter.

Dear Elliot, I wanted to provide a brief update and reiterate our concerns:

  1. User Feedback: Since our last exchange, we've received more user complaints about this behavior. Many find it confusing and counterintuitive.

  2. Privacy Concerns: Some users have expressed privacy worries, as blocked numbers are still visible in their call history.

  3. App Store Reviews: We're seeing negative reviews mentioning this issue, which affects our app's reputation despite being an iOS behavior.

  4. Purpose of Call Blocking: This feature appears to contradict the fundamental purpose of call blocking. When users block a number, they typically expect to eliminate all traces of communication from that source, including entries in their call history.

We understand that changes can't happen overnight, but we hope this feedback helps illustrate the impact on users and developers. Is there any update you can provide on whether this behavior might be reconsidered in future iOS versions?

Thank you again for your time and consideration.

@Papaductions is the blocking working for your app when the number being blocked is in the user's contacts? Or is the call being let through if the blocked number is in the phone's contacts (incorrect behavior since the number should be blocked)?

@echu No, the blocking isn't working when a phone number exists in the user's contact list.

CallKit: Blocked Calls Appearing as Unanswered in iOS 18
 
 
Q