iOS 16: How to View Unread Messages

There is a boatload of new features packed into the final release of iOS 16, and it goes far beyond just being able to add widgets to the Lock Screen. Apple surprised everyone by bringing customization to the Lock Screen, but now that iOS 16 is available, there are still new changes and features being discovered.

iOS 16: How to View Unread Messages

These changes and features are also coming to the Messages app on iOS 16, as you now have the ability to edit and delete sent messages. But did you know that there’s a way for you to view just messages from unknown senders? If you’ve ever been annoyed by an unread message on your iPhone, but aren’t sure where it’s from and don’t just want to delete all the different message threads, this might be for you.

With that being said, here’s how you can enable the filter for unknown senders:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone running iOS 16 or later.
  2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
  3. Swipe down until you reach the Message Filtering section.
  4. Tap the toggle next to Filter Unknown Senders to the On position.
  5. In the top left corner, tap < Settings to save your changes.
  6. Exit the Settings app.

Now you can separate messages from senders that you don’t know, from those that you do, which will help clean up your Messages “inbox.” But the fun doesn’t stop there, as enabling filters within the Messages app, also provides the ability to view unread messages on your iPhone.

  1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
  2. In the top left corner, tap < Filters.
  3. Select one of the following:
    1. All Messages
    2. Known Senders
    3. Unknown Senders
    4. Unread Messages
    5. Recently Deleted

This is easily one of the best ways to clear out any messages that you missed, responding to them or deleting messages such as those one-time passwords that come in via SMS. We’re hoping that Apple continues improving the Messages app with these little quality-of-life improvements.

While iOS 16 has been a mixed bag for some, it’s generally been one of the best iOS updates that we’ve experienced in years. Now, we are just keeping our fingers crossed to see iMessage work better with Android users, but we’ll probably be waiting a little bit longer for that.

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