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How to stop iPhone calendar spam

Your iPhone Calendar is throwing up all sorts of shady notifications you definitely didn’t set up. Why is this happening? What you’re experiencing is called calendar spam. Read on to learn how to stop calendar spam in 2023 (and potentially beyond). 

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Martynas Klimas

Updated: June 15, 2023

Table of Contents
Method #1: Unsubscribe from the calendar
Method #2: Delete the spam calendar subscription
Method #3: Stop ALL Calendar notifications
Method #4: Delete the Calendar app
Where does iPhone calendar spam come from?
In conclusion: stay safe from spam
FAQ

Method #1: Unsubscribe from the calendar 

The simplest way to stop iPhone calendar spam is to unsubscribe from the calendar in question. The exact way you got about this depends on your iOS version:

Unsubscribing from a spam calendar in iOS 14.6 or later

  1. Open the Calendar app.
  2. Tap an unwanted calendar event.
  3. At the bottom of the screen, tap “unsubscribe from this calendar.”
  4. Tap “unsubscribe and report junk” to confirm.
    • Just tapping “unsubscribe” would work, but by reporting the spam calendar, there’s a chance that Apple will address the issue. 

Unsubscribing from a spam calendar in iOS 13.0 or earlier

  1. Start the Calendar app.
  2. Tap “calendars” at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Find an unfamiliar/spam calendar. 
  4. Tap on the “more info” button.
  5. Scroll down and tap “delete calendar.”

And with that, you’re done! If some suspicious calendar events remain, then you might have fallen victim to multiple spam calendars—you’ll have to remove those as well by following one of the procedures above. 

Method #2: Delete the spam calendar subscription 

If you’ve tried Method #1, and you’re still getting spam calendar events, you probably just need to delete the problematic calendar account in the settings. 

  1. Go to your iPhone’s settings.
  2. Navigate to Calendar and then Accounts.
    •  If you’re using iOS 13, go to Passwords & Accounts and then Accounts.
  3. Tap “subscribed calendars.”
  4. Select the suspected spam calendar and tap “delete account.”

That should do it! The rest of the methods mentioned in this article are more about literally stopping the notifications rather than actually doing something about the fact that your calendar is infested with spam. 

Method #3: Stop ALL Calendar notifications 

Spam calendar notifications can’t reach you if you disable all notifications! Of course, this method will disable ALL OF YOUR CALENDAR NOTIFICATIONS, including the legitimate ones you set yourself. That said, depending on your use case, this might be the solution for you. 

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap “notifications” and then go to Calendar.
  3. Toggle “allow notifications” off. 

It’s a bit extreme, but hey, with no calendar notifications, you now have an even better reason to memorize all those birthdays and work meeting times.

Method #4: Delete the Calendar app 

Deleting Apple’s Calendar app is the nuclear option on this list. No Calendar means no calendar spam. 

  1. Find the Calendar icon on your home screen.
  2. Tap and hold it. 
  3. Tap “remove app.”
  4. Confirm your intention by tapping “delete app.” 

So that’s all solved, then! There are some great alternatives to Apple’s Calendar app out there, just be sure to do your due diligence in choosing one that respects your privacy.

Where does iPhone calendar spam come from?

You likely ended up with iPhone calendar spam by clicking a pop-up on a shady website. Illegal streaming services and scammy adult websites are the most likely culprits. With all the things you need to click to finally get to your content, it’s little wonder that one of them led to a Calendar spam infection. 

Only being more vigilant and not visiting illegal websites can prevent this from happening again. Who knows, spam calendar notifications might just be the first steps of a phishing campaign targeted at stealing your data and/or money. 

In conclusion: stay safe from spam

There are more ways for spam to spread than just iPhone calendar links. Sometimes, merely having your email address floating around on the web is enough to draw annoying targeted advertising. That’s because data brokers desire nothing more than to package your email with details about you and sell it to advertisers and whoever else is willing to pay. Regain some control by getting Incogni to strike you off those lists.

More guides on how to stop spam:

FAQ

Why is my iPhone calendar full of spam?

Your iPhone calendar is full of spam because you’ve subscribed to a spam calendar. You probably didn’t do it on purpose. The most likely scenario is that you clicked a pop-up on an illegal video streaming site or shady adult website. In a rush, you didn’t notice that the pop-up added another calendar for you to follow. 

Is iPhone calendar spam a virus?

The iPhone calendar spam is unlikely to be a virus. You were likely tricked into signing up for the spam.

However, it’s still a scam, and if you click on any links in the spam events, you may be exposed to viruses and other threats. Don’t ever click on the links in suspicious events.

Is iPhone calendar spam dangerous?  

Yes, iPhone calendar spam is dangerous as the goal is to scam you in some way. By clicking on links in spam events, you may expose your device to viruses, your data to theft, and yourself to phishing attacks. 

This means that iPhone calendar spam should be wiped out as soon as it is spotted.

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