# Unwanted calls- a good app to block them? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 8, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138 "2020-01-08T18:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/1 "2020-01-08T18:56:56Z")
I’ve had this cell phone number for over 6 years. I still get calls and texts on a daily basis for someone named Daniel, who apparently had this number before. They’re companies looking to sell him something or collect on a debt. I get calls on a near-daily basis from “Bank of America’s Chinese voice department” which then talks to me in Chinese for about 20 seconds, repeats, then hangs up (if I don’t hang up in the first 5 seconds, which I do of course). I get robocalls claiming to be calling for the last time (if only!) to help me lower my credit card interest rates. I don’t have a credit card. Today, someone called and asked if I could hear them. I said, 'Yes." and they hung up. That’s apparently a scam, according to my google search, but it’s difficult to say if they’re gonna hit me, or Daniel. I get three times more unwanted calls than I do calls that are actually calling FOR ME, and that’s not counting the unwanted texts. I block all text and voice numbers as they call/text, but they just keep on coming, to the point where, six years later, I’m here asking for help. Is there any way to reduce this? I already signed up for the national do not call list. I’ve sometimes toyed with the idea of getting a new number, but if they’re still calling here for Daniel after six years, I’m afraid of what a new number will bring. I don’t give out my number willy-nilly, only to a small handful of people, doctors, hospitals, and a handful of businesses I purchase from, like Amazon. \*\*Do you use a blocking app on your phone and do you recommend it? \*\* I used one a long time ago, but I didn’t like it. It seemed a lot of work. I can’t block all unknown callers, because I get legit, important calls from companies, hospitals and gov’t agencies and I don’t know all their numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/2 "2020-01-08T19:52:23Z")
The app I use is “enough will power to avoid answering the call if I don’t recognize the number”. If it is a genuine phone call for someone who is really trying to talk to me, they’ll leave a message. Plenty of robocalls leave messages too, but that’s the price I’ll pay to insure that I don’t block something important. I have all the spam filters turned of on my email too - I would rather delete a hundred emails than miss the legitimate one that ended up my spam folder. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/3 "2020-01-08T20:16:43Z")
I’ve had the same number for over 20 years and also get at least 10 spam calls per day. The Do Not Call Registry is a joke (or maybe it’s working and preventing me from getting 50 spam calls per day). I pay for NomoRobo but still a lot get through. Apple could fix things very easily if I could set up call blocking using wildcards (right now I can only block specific numbers). If I could block all 8xx numbers that are not in my contacts that would cut my spam calls in half. I could almost eliminate them if I could block numbers from my phone’s area code (and possibly interchange) as well. I have the advantage of having moved from my home area code a few years ago, so any call from that area code that is not in my contacts is likely spam. Seems like a simple thing to implement. But, Apple. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/4 "2020-01-08T20:39:29Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > The Do Not Call Registry is a joke (or maybe it’s working and preventing me from getting 50 spam calls per day). I think the issue is that a lot of spam callers are originating from outside the U.S. so they are not subject to this regulation. The registry was a good idea when it was established but the spammers just moved one step ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/5 "2020-01-08T20:43:36Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > The app I use is “enough will power to avoid answering the call if I don’t recognize the number”. I’d still like something to keep my phone from ringing every hour with unwanted calls or texts. I can go for days without a call that’s actually for me. I’m not particularly well, and I don’t sleep more than a few hours at a time, so I’ll sleep a couple times a day, at whatever time I need to, but still, there are calls I want and need to be able to take. There are sick family members, matters concerning my finances and housing, etc. The phone rings, I gotta wake up and check who it is, see what the text is. Even if I don’t answer it, I have to check the phone. Even if I use a unique ringtone for known numbers, the ring still wakes me. _Also, I as I said above, I also get calls from people whose number I might not have, but I need to take_. **I was looking for an app that blocked known spammers, in an attempt to cut back on these calls**. I was hoping for recommendations from people who have used one and liked it. I use Tracfone, so I’m thinking of trying [CallDetector](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.privacystar.android.tracfone&hl=en), but I thought I’d field some opinions. If anyone else is looking for help in this area, [here is a list of some call blocking apps.](https://tracfoneusermanual.net/how-to-block-calls/) It’s targeted at Tracfone users, but many or most will work with Android phones in general. At least one, Should I Answer, works with both Android and Apple’s IOS. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/6 "2020-01-08T20:48:24Z")
Oddly enough, I got a text from Verizon yesterday about an ap called Call Filter. It’s free for Verizon subscribers. I got a spam call this morning and then installed the ap. I only get two or three spam calls a week so it’ll take a bit to see how effective it is. Calls that they think are spam go straight to voice mail. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/7 "2020-01-08T20:49:06Z")
There are apps for phones which allow you to create macros to automatically perform various tasks. I have a macro setup so that incoming calls which are not in my contact list get sent to voicemail. It stops most of the spam calls from ringing. Only occasionally do they leave a voicemail. The macro app I use is MacroDroid, but there are many others. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/8 "2020-01-08T20:54:47Z")
My phone’s Do Not Disturb feature only lets calls from my contacts ring through. I don’t even hear any other calls. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/9 "2020-01-08T22:10:20Z")
Are they able to leave a message, or does Do Not Disturb block the call from getting through entirely? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/10 "2020-01-08T22:44:14Z")
I’ve been wanting to find something like this myself. I recently changed phones and only then realized how nice I had it before–old phone got maybe one spam call a month and spam texts much less often than that. My new phone gets both on almost a daily basis (sometimes more than once a day.) My old phone had a white list–it wouldn’t even ring unless I had the calling number in my contacts. I installed one app that is supposed to do the same thing, but half the time it lets the spam call ring anyway. I’d love to have an app where the white list actually works. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/11 "2020-01-08T22:45:29Z")
(Oh, and going by my spam texts, my number used to belong to “Bernard.”) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/12 "2020-01-08T22:47:53Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > The app I use is “enough will power to avoid answering the call if I don’t recognize the number”. Maybe you could install the “enough willpower not to insult a legitimate question” app. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/13 "2020-01-08T22:58:12Z")
[This article](https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2019/02/07/no-more-robocalls-how-block-unwanted-calls-iphone-android/2778059002/) from USA Today describes some options for blocking robocalls on cell phones, including carrier-provided options and some apps like Nomorobo (although that costs two bucks a month or twenty bucks a year). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2020, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/14 "2020-01-08T23:03:51Z")
[Legislation](https://www.consumerreports.org/robocalls/how-traced-act-robocall-law-will-protect-consumers/) was recently passed to try to address the unwanted-call problem, at least by increasing transparency, but it is a long way from implementation. Spammers will presumably try to develop ways to work around it, too. ---
**Author:** ![GMANCANADA](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gmancanada/32/2837_2.png) [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/15 "2020-01-09T01:27:06Z")
What kind of phone do you have? iPhone’s having blocking ability / software built into them. I don’t know if Androids do as well, but I’d be surprised if they don’t. On iPhone go to: Phone app \> Recents (at the bottom of the main screen)\>scroll to the phone number you want to block \> tap the “i” on the right side of the number \> at the bottom of the info screen tap “Block this caller” That stops all communication from that caller. @Darren Garrison > [@](#): > > Quote: > Originally Posted by Keeve View Post > The app I use is “enough will power to avoid answering the call if I don’t recognize the number”. > Maybe you could install the “enough willpower not to insult a legitimate question” app. You’re 100% correct - Assholes like that are why I rarely use SDMB anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/16 "2020-01-09T01:41:12Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Maybe you could install the “enough willpower not to insult a legitimate question” app. Heh, thanks. I was gonna say something about the quasi-threadshit, but I launched my, “willpower to ignore unhelpful people” app. I probably should have addressed it as the OP, but the thread continued just fine anyway. That post reminded me of the one smug guy in every antivirus thread, the one who says he doesn’t need an antivirus program because he’s too smart to get a virus. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > [This article](https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2019/02/07/no-more-robocalls-how-block-unwanted-calls-iphone-android/2778059002/) from USA Today describes some options for blocking robocalls on cell phones, including carrier-provided options and some apps like Nomorobo (although that costs two bucks a month or twenty bucks a year). Thanks, that was a helpful read. > [@GMANCANADA](#): > > What kind of phone do you have? > > iPhone’s having blocking ability / software built into them. I don’t know if Androids do as well, but I’d be surprised if they don’t. > > On iPhone go to: Phone app \> Recents (at the bottom of the main screen)\>scroll to the phone number you want to block \> tap the “i” on the right side of the number \> at the bottom of the info screen tap “Block this caller” > > That stops all communication from that caller. Yeah, my Samsung has that option right after you hang up a call, but the spammers have more numbers than I can block on my own. The Chinese callers keep getting blocked, and they keep calling me. Unfortunately, I think they spoof legit numbers as well, and I don’t think there will ever be a good way to stop that at the phone level. Maybe we can cut back some of it, though, by doing what we can with the rest of them. **Looks like there are a few folks interested in this. If anyone tries one of these, post back and we’ll compare notes. Maybe we can help each other out.** ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/17 "2020-01-09T03:44:25Z")
I use “Should I Answer?” which has many options, including crowdsouced ratings of numbers. I don’t use most of its features, just the setting that blocks all calls from numbers that aren’t in my contacts list. Works great! ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/18 "2020-01-09T05:03:34Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I use “Should I Answer?” which has many options, including crowdsouced ratings of numbers. I don’t use most of its features, just the setting that blocks all calls from numbers that aren’t in my contacts list. Works great! Thanks for the reply. This is the kind of first-hand experience I (and I guess some others here) were hoping for. SIA is one of the apps I was looking at. Do you find it intrusive? I had one that asked me to explain every time I blocked someone, so that it would go on their master list. I was also kind of afraid it might block someone it shouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/19 "2020-01-09T05:17:33Z")
One problem with blocking numbers is that the spammers are just making up the caller id values. One strategy is called “neighbor spam”, which is where they set the caller id to be from the same area code and exchange as yours. So if your number is 555-555-1212, the spammers will make the caller id say something similar like 555-554-9812 one time, then 555-555-1872 the next time, and so on. Blocking numbers is typically ineffective because the caller id is spoofed. Even though the spammers are faking the caller id, the number is still a valid phone number. Likely a real person or business has that number. Some of you may have even gotten calls from angry people who thought you were the ones spamming them. What happened in that case is that the spammer happened to put your phone number in the caller id when they spammed someone. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/20 "2020-01-09T08:32:19Z")
From what I understand, the what you are describing is a uniquely American problem. Spam calls and texts are practically unheard of in Europe. So if cost is no concern to you (and your correspondents, who might have to pay long-distance fees to call you), maybe you could just buy a foreign SIM card and use that instead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138.md?page=2)