If iOS 18 is installed on your iPhone, you can find the option as follows:
On iPhones with older iOS versions than iOS 18, skip step 2.
If the update of spam protection fails, it may be due to the essential iPhone setting “Block & Identify Calls” being disabled in the background, possibly by an iOS update. This is due to the iPhone’s security structure, which we cannot influence. Other iOS apps requiring this setting face the same issue.
Please check the app Settings >> Apps (only from iOS 18 onwards) >>Phone >> Call Blocking & Identification to see if Clever Dialer can be reactivated. (See description)
If the switch shows a loading icon and cannot be activated, it is crucial to have this switch enabled for Clever Dialer to work.
To fix this issue, please follow these steps:
This should allow the switch in the iPhone settings to be activated again.
Android phones which want to run the Clever Dialer Android app must have Android 10 or higher installed.
iPhones with iOS 13 or higher can install the Clever Dialer iPhone app.
Although spam-warnings work even when the app is closed completely, the spam protection can not be updated. The app has to run in the background. If you rarely or never open the app, spam protection will quickly become obsolete. This can mean that you are no longer reliably warned from spam calls. New spam numbers are constantly added, so an always up-to-date spam protection is essential.
That’s why we send a notification (push notification) periodically to alert you to a possible update. When the notification is pressed, the app will open and the update will start.
It’s best not to close the Clever Dialer app completely, but keep it running in the background.
Clever Dialer for the iPhone protects you from annoying spam callers. For incoming calls, Clever Dialer checks whether the caller is listed as a spam caller. If the caller’s number is found there, the iPhone warns before accepting the call.
Clever Dialer is also available as an Android app.
Clever Dialer products are available for
This is an error on Apple’s part and unfortunately cannot be influenced by us. All apps that require activation in the phone settings struggle with these difficulties.
Apple recommends the following: Wait at least an hour before trying to activate the app again in Settings.
However, we have found that this can actually take between 1 and 3 days.
Therefore, our recommendation is to restart the iPhone. If this does not help, reinstall the Clever Dialer app. If you still can’t find the “Call Blocking and Identification” item in the phone settings, temporarily disable screen time in your iPhone’s settings (screen time components can prevent the menu item from appearing). To do this, open the Settings app. There, open “Screen time” and scroll all the way down. Press “Turn off Screen Time” and confirm the deactivation. After another restart at the latest, the option “Call Blocking and Identification” should appear in the phone settings of your iPhone.
Please excuse the inconvenience. Unfortunately, we have no option to remove this error.
Up to iOS 17:
Apple can block calls rigorously and effectively. These blocked calls do not appear in the call log, and you won’t receive any notification that someone tried to call you. In other words, you won’t know if your device has blocked a call.
However, Clever Dialer’s spam database includes phone numbers that not all users consider spam. Examples include customer retention calls from Sky or certain voicemail numbers like Vodafone.
Since Apple doesn’t provide a way to allow blocked numbers through an exceptions list (Whitelist), we’ve developed the automatic spam call blocking feature as an independent option that you can enable if you wish.
If you decide not to activate automatic blocking, Clever Dialer will only warn you about suspected spam calls. You can then choose whether to answer the call or not.
From iOS 18 onwards:
With iOS 18, the behavior of blocked calls has changed:
• Blocked calls now appear in the call log.
• The phone still won’t ring for blocked calls.
• The call log now indicates whether a call was blocked or if a spam warning was displayed.
What does this mean for you?
Even if calls are blocked, you’ll now see them in your call log and can choose to return the call if needed. Please only return a call if you are absolutely sure it’s not a spam-call.
How does this benefit you?
If you previously didn’t activate automatic blocking because you were worried about missing blocked calls entirely, you can now enable this feature with confidence starting from iOS 18. Blocked calls will appear in your call log, marked as “blocked,” giving you complete visibility and control.
With this approach, we aim to give you maximum control over your calls, regardless of the iOS version you’re using.