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AVG Signal Blog Security Security Tips How to Delete iPhone Calendar Spam
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Written by Deepan Ghimiray
Published on April 26, 2022

How to delete iPhone calendar spam

If your iPhone calendar app is packed with spam events, reminders, and invites, you can remove them by deleting the subscribed spam calendar. Delete the spam calendar at its source rather than declining spam events individually, because interacting with iOS calendar spam will tell spammers that your account is active.

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    While you can delete spam calendar entries individually, this can be tedious, especially if there’s a lot of junk to clear. And it doesn’t guarantee the spam won’t return. Plus, if spammers see that your account is active, you may end up receiving even more iPhone calendar spam. It’s easier, safer, and more effective to follow the steps below.

    How to delete calendar spam in iOS 14.6 or later

    If you receive iOS calendar spam, it might be because you accidentally subscribed to a spam calendar. To delete all spam notifications, and prevent new ones filling your diary, delete the spam calendar altogether.

    Here’s how to remove spam from your iPhone calendar in iOS 14.6 or later:

    1. Open the Calendar app and tap the spam event in your calendar.

      Selecting an event in the iPhone Calendar app.

    2. Tap Unsubscribe from this Calendar at the bottom of the screen.

      Unsubscribing from a Calendar in the iOS Calendar app.

    3. Tap Unsubscribe to confirm.

      Confirming unsubscription from a third-party calendar in the iPhone Calendar app.

    If you see other spam calendar events in different colors, you may have subscribed to more than one spam calendar. Follow the same steps above to delete any other spam calendars as well. While deleting spam may not speed up your iPhone, it’s best to avoid it altogether by learning the tricks to avoiding spam.

    How to delete calendar spam in earlier iOS versions

    Older iPhones may have a different interface from newer ones, but you can still delete spam calendars just as easily. Here’s how to remove spam from earlier versions of iOS:

    1. Open the Calendar app and tap Calendars at the bottom.

      iOS calendar app.

    2. Tap the little i button next to the unrecognized calendar — the color of the spam calendar is the same as the spam notifications.

      Various calendars on iOS calendar app.
    3. Tap Delete Calendar.

      the Edit calendar function in iOS calendar app.

    If you suspect your iPhone has other issues besides simply calendar spam — such as a malware infection causing the spam — check out our guides to removing iPhone spyware, removing ransomware, and other threats before they cause additional harm.

    How to delete calendar spam from iOS settings.

    If you keep receiving calendar spam after removing a spam calendar from your iPhone calendar, you may have to delete the spam calendar subscription from your iOS settings.

    Here’s how:

    1. Open the Settings app.

    2. Tap Calendar, then tap Accounts. (If you’re using iOS 13, tap Password & Accounts).

      Accessing the Calendar app menu via the the iOS Settings app.

    3. Tap Subscribed Calendars.

      Account management menu for the iOS Calendar app.

    4. Find the spam (or unknown) calendar, tap it, then tap Delete Account.

      Deleting an account for the iOS Calendar app via the account management menu.

    While you’re at it, you can also use iOS settings to hide iPhone apps. It’s a great way to protect your privacy or just declutter your home screen.

    What is iPhone calendar spam and how does it work?

    iPhone calendar spam is unwanted events and invites that fill up your iOS calendar app. Usually calendar spam happens after you unwittingly subscribe to a calendar, or if you accidentally download a third-party calendar app. Your iOS calendar then gets filled with spam events, reminders, and invites.

    Though not a virus, calendar spam can contain hacking scripts and malware for stealing your personal data and harming you and your contacts. If you receive calendar spam, do not open it — even to deny the invitation. Malicious calendar spam works by tricking the victim into interacting with it.

    Calendar spam works like email phishing attacks. Generally, users have learned to avoid spam email — but calendar spam is still fairly new. And it’s a growing threat, because people are more likely to open calendar spam than email spam.

    If your phone gets hacked, cybercriminals can access your personal data and have a backdoor to your contacts. So protect yourself and your friends and family by following these essential iPhone security tips. And get one of the best iPhone security apps to keep hackers away.

    How to stop the spam

    At best, spam is annoying. At worst, it can contain malware and other threats. Either way, you should take immediate steps to stop spam. There are a few different ways to stop calendar spam — some involve the iPhone calendar app, and others are more general cybersecurity tips.

    Here’s how to stop calendar spam:

    Report the spam event as junk

    Reporting calendar spam as junk will alert Apple to the issue. That helps them block the spam from reinfecting you or others.

    Here’s how to report a spam event as junk:

    1. Open the Calendar app and tap the spam calendar event.

      Selecting an event in the iPhone Calendar app.

    2. Tap Unsubscribe from this Calendar at the bottom of the screen.

      Unsubscribing from a Calendar in the iOS Calendar app.

    3. Then tap Unsubscribe and Report Junk to delete and block the spam and send a report to Apple.

      Confirming unsubscription from a third-party calendar and reporting it as junk in the iPhone Calendar app.

    Disable pop-ups on Safari

    Calendar spam often ends up on your iPhone through pop-ups, which hackers use to lure people into clicking and unknowingly subscribing to calendar spam. Safari seems particularly susceptible to this ploy.

    Here how to disable pop-ups on Safari:

    1. Open the Settings app and tap Safari.

      iOS settings, highlighting Safari app.

    2. Toggle on Block Pop-ups.

      iOS settings for Safari. Highlighting "block popups"

    Stop all Calendar notifications

    This rather drastic measure will stop calendar spam, but it will also stop all your legitimate notifications. And it doesn’t address the actual cause of the calendar spam — you’ll just stop receiving notifications about it. If you’re okay with managing your calendar by manually visiting the app, go for it.

    Here’s how to stop all iPhone calendar notifications:

    1. Open the Settings app, tap Notifications, then tap Calendar.

      iOS notifications settings, highlighting Calendar

    2. Toggle off Allow Notifications.

      iOS Calendar app notifications settings, highlighting "allow notifications"

    Delete your iPhone Calendar

    Sometimes it’s best just to start fresh. Deleting your iPhone calendar will remove everything. From there, you can reinstall or try another calendar app. There are many alternative options compatible with iOS.

    Here’s how to delete your iPhone calendar:

    1. Press and hold the iPhone Calendar app icon on your homescreen.

    2. Tap Remove App.

      Deleting the iPhone Calendar app via the home screen.

    3. Then tap Delete App to confirm you want to completely remove the calendar from your iPhone.

      Confirming deletion of the iOS calendar app.

    Use privacy-focused security software including a VPN and BreachGuard

    A VPN will completely encrypt your network connection — even on public Wi-Fi. It’s the most secure way to evade hackers and other snoops from spying or messing with your devices. Coupled with AVG BreachGuard — a 24/7 data-breach monitoring tool — your device will be sealed off against calendar spam and a host of other threats.

    Keep spam off your computer

    Spam continues to pollute devices and threaten online security. Thankfully, AVG AntiVirus FREE is built on top of a software stack that stops viruses, removes spyware, and combats even previously unknown malware for all-encompassing threat-protection.

    Our email shield feature blocks malicious attachments that often come with spam emails. And with real-time updates, you’ll stay protected against the latest threats. Download AVG for free today to stop spam and clean up your digital life.

    Protect your iPhone against online threats with AVG Mobile Security

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    Get real-time spam protection with AVG AntiVirus

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    Security Tips
    Security
    Deepan Ghimiray
    26-04-2022