You registered your home and mobile number on the FTC’s DO-NOT-CALL Registry but somehow, you continue to get hit with non-stop telemarketing calls and it is getting worse!
Here are some tips on how you can sow down he onslaught:
Block them before they even reach you!
For Android Devices:
From Technicous tips, “if phone is updated to Android 4.4 KitKat or later (check Settings > About Phone to check which Android version your device is running) there are some built-in features that identify incoming calls. Caller ID by Google will match incoming calls with Google Places listing and display that name on the call screen for you.
Unfortunately, this is highly dependent on the company being listed in Google’s business directory.
If you’re getting nuisance calls from the same number, you can block it from the call log. Select the number you want to block and when you see the details for the caller, hit the menu button. There you’ll find the option to “Add to reject list.”
You can manage your call reject list, including adding contacts or numbers, under settings >> call >> call reject >> auto reject list.
For earlier versions of Android, your options vary somewhat by manufacturer. When you get a spam call, open the call log and press and hold the number you want to block.
While you’re holding, a menu will pop up letting you add that number to your contacts or block it.
Samsung calls it “add to reject list,” HTC calls it “block contact”—you get the idea. On LG models, you can go into system >> call >> call reject >> and then use the + to add numbers from your recent calls.
If you have Android 4.2.2 or higher you can also opt to send all calls from a specific contact directly to voicemail. Once you get a call, make a contact out of that incoming number. Then view that contact (the People or Contacts app) and tap on the menu to see the option “All calls to voicemail,” “Add to Auto Reject list” or something similar.
All of the above options send callers straight to voicemail. If you don’t want to give your caller the option of leaving a voice mail, you’ll need to turn to a third party app. Following are apps that specialize in dealing with annoying calls in different ways.”
App options
Use an app called Mr. Number which lets you block calls and texts from specific numbers or specific area codes.
The app can also automatically block “private” or “unknown” numbers which usually come from spam accounts.
It also lets users report spam, so when you get a call from an unknown number, you can see what others have reported about it.
When a blocked number tries to call, your phone may ring once, though usually not at all, and then the call is sent to voicemail.
Price: Free at Google Play (it has a reverse lookups for a fee)
For IPhone and iOS 9 devices
Use the in-app options:
Go to the Contacts app
Tap on the contact you want to block or find the number on the Recent Calls tab (clock icon) on your Phone app and tap the circled “i” icon to the right of the number.
Both routes will take you to the contact page for that caller.
Scroll to the bottom and click on the “Block This Caller” option.
If you want to identify incoming calls or texts as spam, user rh Truecaller listed above in the Android section.
It also has an iPhone version that will identify incoming calls against their extensive list of telemarketers and spammers.
Price: Free on iTunes
Other non app related blocking
If you don’t find any built-in features or apps to your liking, your carrier might offer blocking options (although they could come at a cost).
AT&T users should look for Smart Limits, a parental control feature that lets you block calls and texts for $4.99 per month.
Sprint users can set up call blocking from My Sprint.
Verizon users can block five numbers for free or pay $4.99 a month for more blocking options.
T-Mobile can block all text messages for free or subscribe to Family Allowances ($4.99 per month) to block up to 10 numbers.
Finally, try filtering by using a Google Voice number as your primary means of contact. Google Voice offers great spam filtering options with a database of known spam numbers, and it can automatically block potential spam. You can port an existing number to Google Voice for a $20 fee to enjoy first-class call filtering options no matter what kind of phone you’re using.
This method works for both iPhones and Android smartphones.
