Many Apple users are reporting that the “Block Caller” option is missing in iOS 26.1 on iPhone SE 3rd generation devices after updating their phones.

How to fix “Block Caller” Option Missing in iOS 26.1 on iPhone SE 3rd Generation

Normally, users can:

tap the “i” info button next to a recent call
scroll down
tap “Block Caller”

But after updating to iOS 26.1, the option no longer appears for some users.

The issue affects:

saved contacts
unknown numbers
recent call history
blocked contacts settings

Several users, especially in Europe/EU regions, have reported the same problem.

What Users Are Experiencing

After updating an iPhone SE (3rd generation) to iOS 26.1:

“Block Caller” disappears completely
option missing from recent calls
blocked contacts section does not help
unwanted calls cannot be blocked normally

Users tried:

restarting iPhone
changing language and region
checking restrictions
creating contacts manually

…but the issue continued.

Before iOS 26, the feature reportedly worked normally.

Possible Cause of the Issue

The problem appears related to changes introduced in iOS 26, especially the newer:

Call Screening system
redesigned phone interface
Liquid UI effects

Some users believe the new call management system may conflict with the classic “Block Caller” option.

At the time of writing, Apple has not released an official support note about the issue.

How to fix “Block Caller” Option Missing in iOS 26.1 on iPhone SE 3rd Generation

A strange but working workaround has helped many users restore the missing block option temporarily.

How to Make the “Block Caller” Option Reappear

Step 1

Open the Phone app.

Step 2

Tap the:

“i” button

next to the phone number.

Initially, users may only see:

missed call
time
call history

without the usual blocking options.

Step 3

Press the Home button.

Then:

return to the phone contact screen

Step 4

Press the Home button again.

Then reopen the contact or call details again.

Step 5

Repeat this process multiple times.

Users report that:

more options slowly appear each time
eventually the “Block Contact” option returns

The workaround is unusual, but many users say it works.

Why Users Find This Frustrating

Many users say:

blocking unwanted numbers became unnecessarily difficult
the new interface feels confusing
iOS 26 changed features that previously worked fine

Some also criticized:

the Liquid visual effects
UI redesign choices
hidden settings behavior

Others said they want to reverse the update entirely because of usability problems.

Things That Did NOT Fix the Problem

Users reported these steps did not solve the issue:

restarting iPhone
changing region/language
manually creating contacts
checking management profiles
looking under blocked contacts settings

The workaround involving repeated Home button presses was the only successful method for some users.

Devices Affected

The issue is most commonly reported on:

iPhone SE (3rd generation)
running:
iOS 26
iOS 26.1

However, similar behavior may appear on other iPhone models using newer iOS versions.

Final Thoughts

The missing “Block Caller” option in iOS 26.1 appears to be a software or interface bug affecting some iPhone SE 3rd generation users.

Until Apple releases an official fix, the repeated Home button workaround remains one of the few known ways to make the option reappear temporarily.

For users dealing with spam or unwanted calls, the issue can be especially frustrating because a previously simple feature is now hidden or inaccessible after the update.