Pipe Smoker, my phone just added that feature when I last upgraded it and it works wonderfully.

I never get the Robocalls, and all I find is that someone called at sometime in my recent calls. No ring, nuthin!

As far as the upgrade, it didn't mess my phone up at all, I waited a few weeks to do it, because of the adverse publicity. The problems may have been fixed by the time I bravely took that step.

Bob

Pixel phones have a call screening system. A computer voice screens the call for you, and an AI decides if the call is spam. If it is spam, it sends a copy of the call into a trash bin for archive. The phone then displays a transcript of any legit screened calls for you to accept or send to voicemail.

quote:

Originally posted by Twist:
iPhone (and I believe Android) have a feature where you can ignore calls from numbers not in your contacts.
For iPhone, go to Settings>Phone and move the slider next to Silence Unknown Calls. You may end up missing a call from someone you know but they can still leave a voicemail, you can then call them back.
It's been damn nice not having to put up with that crap for a while.

THANK YOU for this post.

Today I missed 2 BS calls “from my phone”.
Wife is happy too!

I answer the calls and call the scammers out when they answer.

Usually it's some form of "Why don't you get an honest job you piece of shit." Most just hang up, but the ones that go toe to toe with you are the most fun.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
Starting a version or two ago, the iPhone added a feature to iOS called "Silence Unknown Callers". It silences the ringtone and sends them to voicemail. Calls from someone in your Contacts, and also recently outgoing called numbers, will still ring.

I updated iOS to 13.3 five days ago and activated "Silence Unknown Callers". And it works, 100%! I haven’t heard a single ring from a robocaller since. I used to get 3 or 4 of them every day.

There was a pleasant surprise though: I haven’t seen any robocalls in my voicemail either!. I suspect that the robocallers detect the instantaneous redirection of their call to voicemail and terminate the call before it registers. Wonderful, wonderful!

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
If your carrier supports Nomorbo. It is free. I signed up about six months ago and only 2 robo calls have gotten through.

https://www.nomorobo.com/

I signed up for nomorobo. So far, I'm impressed. I believe this is indeed the solution to the problem.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
The Michigan AG just had a press conference yesterday telling all us lucky residents that she was making a huge effort to end robocalls.
I got a robocall while the presser was being shown on TV.
Thanks for nothing, Nessel.

And now our Governor is urging us to answer ALL unknown numbers as it may be a call to track persons that may have had contact with a Corona infected person.

Fat chance I'm going to talk to a unknown caller despite who they say they are and give them any information. Let the state send me a letter.

^^^^^^^^^
PURE MICHIGAN!!! What an idiot.

That's the latest scam, to say you've been in contact with a COVID positive person.
Then they want personal information.
The government is ridiculous to expect people to answer calls from unknown numbers.

I transferred my long-time number, to NumberBarn, and pay $6/month to have it handle all calls. (Essentially, anyone who calls, gets a message to press one, to be connected - its a pax, I could have it do a variety of things.)

I set it so that anyone who gets by the pax, shows up on my cell, with my old number as the caller id - hence, it rings.

The handful of folks who have my actual cell number, also have a ringtone. Works great, and I can turn it off, anytime/turn it to automatically forward all calls to my cell.

I use a couple digit one pro call blockers for home phone (internet). Allows blocking of entire area code, entire or partial prefix, or entire number. Uses wild card capability for partial numbers. Easy to add to the blocked list. Allows white list. Works with pbx.

I have used several iterations of their units. Older ones no longer daisy chain with latest units. Older units had much smaller capacity.


https://www.digitonesales.com/

The iPhone blocking of not in your contacts works well for cell phone.

This free approach has worked fairly well for me.

First, sign up for a free google voice number and configure it to forward to your cell phone. Set up google voice to require callers to state their name before connecting the caller to you.

Give this google voice number away to all businesses that require a number. Give your normal cell phone number only to friends and family.

I have to take all calls as it could be a customer/patient but I say hello one time and stay silent. these calls/callers do not pick up the line until you say hello a 2nd time. cures the issue 99% of the time.

Most VOIP providers provide spam call detection and call block ability. Regular (POTS) land lines, not so much

Don't answer any number you don't know works pretty well.

If it's someone calling for you (legitimately), they will leave a message and you can call them back.

Otherwise, don't answer it and block the number.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
Pixel phones have a call screening system. A computer voice screens the call for you, and an AI decides if the call is spam. If it is spam, it sends a copy of the call into a trash bin for archive. The phone then displays a transcript of any legit screened calls for you to accept or send to voicemail.

Yes I use this feature on my Pixel and Google AI block over 95% is the spam calls.

I just don’t answer unless you’re in my contacts or I’m expecting a call. Usually my phone is on silent anyway. I’m happily antisocial generally.

But my work phone...I’m on call a week at a time and I have to answer.

I use my cell for business and have clients calling me from all over the country so The iPhone feature to send all unknown calls to VM wasn't an option for me. If anyone is in a similar boat, I use a an app called nomorobo that does a nice job of filtering almost all of the robocalls I used to receive. It either blocks them entirely or sends them straight to VM where they rarely even leave a message. As for the home phone? We turned all the ringers off, I never answer it and it has no VM. So much better that way. Crazy thing is, with verizon it's cheaper to keep the land line as part of the package then the package without it.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Not a number on your contact list? Or someone not on it but you hope for or expect a call from? (E.g., employment search, items for sale in a classified.) Don't answer it.

A couple problems with this approach. First, the wife has a lot of family and friends in Germany who do not call on a regular basis.

Our youngest grandson is living with us. He is medically retired from the army, has PTSD and gets a lot of calls from various agencies, etc.

He recently got his own cell/smart phone so maybe those calls will go to his phone and not our house phone.

Anyway, thanks to all for the good advice.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
 
Starting a version or two ago, the iPhone added a feature to iOS called "Silence Unknown Callers". It silences the ringtone and sends them to voicemail. Calls from someone in your Contacts, and also recently outgoing called numbers, will still ring.

I updated iOS to 13.3 five days ago and activated "Silence Unknown Callers". And it works, 100%! I haven’t heard a single ring from a robocaller since. I used to get 3 or 4 of them every day.

There was a pleasant surprise though: I haven’t seen any robocalls in my voicemail either!. I suspect that the robocallers detect the instantaneous redirection of their call to voicemail and terminate the call before it registers. Wonderful, wonderful!

Same here. Once they are redirected to voicemail, it seems their robo equipment detects that and just moves on. I've had maybe 2 voicemails from robocallers since I enabled that feature. And legitimate callers that got redirected to voicemail have no problem leaving a voicemail. I get those once in a while. I do have almost all of my friends, clinics, local businesses, etc. in my Contacts, so those do ring.