Campaign Trend Podcast Blocked Messages: The iOS 26 and Gmail Problem with Dave Purkert (TAG Strategies)
Aug 27, 2025
Dave Purkert, EVP for Marketing at TAG Strategies and online fundraising expert, tackles looming tech threats to campaign outreach. He breaks down iOS 26 text filtering and clever workarounds like vCard distribution and relational texting. He also explains Gmail’s strange treatment of fundraising links and practical email deliverability practices to keep messages reaching supporters.
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iOS 26 Unknown Sender Filter Could Hide Campaign Texts
- iOS 26 will surface a stronger unknown-sender filter that may block texts from numbers not saved in a user's contacts.
- Apple says the filter exists today but iOS 26 pushes adoption and could change default behavior, creating a chicken-and-egg engagement problem for campaigns.
Host Found Trump Short Code Still Delivered In Tests
- Eric tested the feature and Trump campaign short code 88022 still arrived without being saved, showing inconsistent treatment in current builds.
- iOS developer betas showed the filter on by default, but final settings may differ, leaving campaigns unsure.
Push Contact Cards So Texts Bypass Filters
- Do create and distribute contact cards (.vcf) so supporters save your campaign phone number and bypass the unknown-sender filter.
- TAG and major campaigns (including Trump's) are pushing saved-contact drives and tools like a.vcf links to increase adoption.