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Ask HN: Why can’t I block all incoming calls that aren’t in my contact list?

by tones411 on 1/30/19, 1:23 AM with 324 comments

It’s pointless to block every single spam number that can call in. If we can’t end spam calls, why don’t phones let you at least block all except numbers in your contact list?
  • by WestCoastJustin on 1/30/19, 1:35 AM

    I just put my iphone on "do not disturb" full-time and use my favourites list to only allow calls though (from a selected list). People who double call are also allowed through. Then you are not constantly distracted by notifications, emails, texts, spam calls [1]. My thinking is, my phone should serve me, not the other way around, so I only check when I'm not focused on something else. Personally, I find useless notifications way worse than calls.

    [1] https://www.iphonelife.com/blog/32671/tip-day-how-let-favori...

  • by fyfy18 on 1/30/19, 10:04 AM

    A few years ago my parents were getting a lot of spam calls on their landline. Basically all of them were automated calls, either a recorded message or you were connected to a person shortly after the call was connected. I bought an OBi100 [0], which is a small device designed to be a VOIP adapter, but you can setup rules on how calls (incoming or outgoing) are handled.

    I setup a rule that if the call was from a withheld or foreign number, it would play an automated message asking the user to press the number 1 to be connected. This alone stopped basically all the spam calls. I'm surprised how well it actually works, I assume the caller detects it as a voicemail message so just hang up.

    I imagine most carriers could implement something like this relatively easy. Sorry Google, no AI needed here.

    [0] https://www.callcentric.com/support/device/obihai/obi100

  • by wittedhaddock on 1/30/19, 4:09 AM

    My name is James, I work for Community Phone, a nationwide cell phone company.

    Show of hands: if we opened up this feature for you to control this filter for yourself or your loved ones, holding all else constant (price and coverage), would that be sufficient to cause a switch to try out an alternate provider?

  • by Cactus2018 on 1/30/19, 2:16 AM

    Tangentially; T-Mobile tags suspect numbers with "Scam Likely" caller ID. Opt-in to block these calls by dialing #662# - https://www.t-mobile.com/resources/call-protection

    edit; T-Mobile accepts forwarded text message SPAM at 7726 - https://www.t-mobile.com/responsibility/privacy/fraud-spam/s...

  • by joshka on 1/30/19, 6:13 AM

    I'm more inclined to say that the real solution to this is to make it expensive for the callers by having a service that answers the call every time and tries to keep the caller on the line wasting their time. There's obviously an asymmetric principal at play here.

    Imagine for a sec a situation where: 1. I receive a robocaller message. 2. I press a button on phone indicating spam 3. Software Agent takes over, presses the right DTMF to proceed (ML based analysis of what works and what doesn't) 4. Agent waits for human to come on, starts playing random conversational pieces that sound right (extension, the google thing that booked a hair dresser appointment takes this even further https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D-6mxb_Mu8). 5.

  • by Figs on 1/30/19, 2:07 AM

    You can? I thought that was pretty standard on Android phones? On my phone, at least, there are do-not-disturb options for "priority only" (which can be set to either specific contacts or the whole contact list), "alarms only", and "total silence" (careful with that one).
  • by proxygeek on 1/30/19, 3:42 AM

    But you can! Mostly in Android though. I can confirm MIUI - the stock rom on Xiaomi phones - have this exact feature built in.

    You can block all hidden numbers, all numbers not in your address book, specific numbers, etc.

    Or one can use Tasker - an Android automation app to achieve the same functionality and more in any Android phone. I suppose these days, you can use Iphone's scripting functionality as well for the same, can't you?

    Privacy concerns regarding MIUI /Android can be handled by installing a firewall like Netguard.

  • by sliken on 1/30/19, 5:00 AM

    Buy an android phone. Go to settings -> sound -> do not disturb -> exceptions/calls.

    Click on allow calls and select "from contacts only".

  • by pmoriarty on 1/30/19, 2:10 AM

    On Android, you can do exactly this with an app called "Should I Answer?"

    That app has a lot more features too, like blocking calls which are rated negatively in the community-curated database. Of course, you can rate numbers yourself as well, and block/whitelist those.

    It can also block hidden numbers or foreign numbers, and a whole bunch of other stuff as well.

    It's a pretty cool app. Check it out.

  • by Afforess on 1/30/19, 4:46 AM

    I block all US calls now, using Hiya (I block +1 ) and warn new contacts to either text me, or use signal, whatsapp, discord, etc. Originally, it was just enough to block my own area code (+1 616 ), since I had moved and didn't have any contacts that would have been from the area. But in the last few months, robocalls kept increasing, and I'm at about 100 robocalls a week.

    I seem to have robocalls worse than most, most of my friends are still sufficing with spam detection, but it's not enough. It's a crying shame the FCC has allowed the telephone to become a tragedy of the commons, but none of the carriers have any interest in blocking robocallers, it's a secondary source of income.

    I have a smartphone that literally can not operate as a phone and take calls. It's dystopian.

  • by deathanatos on 1/30/19, 5:58 AM

    Or why isn't the law enforced? Why is the FCC and do-not-call.gov asleep on the job?

    Why are scammers even allowed to spoof caller IDs from local area-code numbers that don't even exist? (Thankfully, this makes them blissfully easy to spot. But I fear someday the fraudsters will get up to speed on that heuristic.)

    Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a technical measure like the one you suggest — it appears to be sorely needed. But I'm dismayed at how little the government and the carriers care.

    And for God's sake can we choose a more convincing scam than "the factory warranty on your vehicle is about to expire"? My car is over 20 years old. The warranty is gone.

  • by nik1aa5 on 1/30/19, 6:01 AM

    I use "Should I answer?" which serves this purpose very well: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mistergrou...

    The main service the app offers is a community rating of phone numbers. Depending on the rating, calls can be muted automatically. You can also, however, tell the app to generally block all calls except those from contacts in your address book.

  • by yoz-y on 1/30/19, 10:51 AM

    It is not exactly the solution you look for but on iOS you can use call blocking apps which work in a similar fashion to the safari blocking extensions. They provide a list of blacklisted numbers to the phone app and they can either tag them (say, as a telemarketer) or block them outright. I currently use Callblock and it works fine.

    One advantage of this system is that the blocking provider does not need (and can't have) access to your phone call history at all. The disadvantage is that it is a blacklist only, you can't invert the rules.

    As a side note, although I would _love_ to just ignore all calls from numbers I do not know, at least in France most companies such as banks, taxman and so on will call you from a withheld number and they don't always leave a message.

  • by egypturnash on 1/30/19, 5:48 AM

    Default ring: three seconds of silence, no vibration.

    People you actually want to talk to: custom ring/vibration. As a bonus you can assign different rings to people so you know “oh hey that’s Mom” or whatever.

  • by pxeboot on 1/30/19, 1:36 AM

    Just a guess, but I would expect carriers to be strongly against any feature that made it easy to block most calls.
  • by emayljames on 1/30/19, 6:12 AM

    Xiaomi phones have a "Block Calls From Strangers" option in the security settings. Xiaomi phone's are awesome.
  • by sys_64738 on 1/30/19, 2:27 AM

    I use callcentric for voip and it allows all non-whitelist numbers to fall through to ‘press random digit to connect’. That gets rid of spam calls for me.
  • by russelldavis on 1/30/19, 10:16 AM

    Amen. The existing spam call blockers are all based on blacklists, and it's a losing battle against spammers who can simply keep spoofing new numbers.

    I'm working on an app (iphone & android) that solves this the way you suggest, via a whitelist of contacts, with an optional way for non-whitelisted, non-robocallers to still get through.

    If you're interested in early access, email me at russell.davis [at] gmail [dot] [com].

  • by adim86 on 1/30/19, 8:42 AM

    Although at first glance this sounds like a no brainer and a little confusing why we are not given the power to have a whitelist system on our phones I think this feature is a terrible idea. This is the same as saying, why can we not bounce all emails that have not been stored in our email address book. This one feature has the ability to destroy modern communication as we know it.

    Hear me out. If you all have noticed, with every privacy feature released a significant amount of people migrate to it full-time. I currently cannot recognize my phone ring, because from the day I bought my last phone I switched off the ringing and never bothered to turn it back on, not because I hate ringtones, I just forgot and also there have been no dire consequences to do so. Someone on this thread also said he/she set her phone permanently on "do not disturb" and just deals with notifications when they want to. This is all well and good cause anyone who has tried to reach us has successfully done so and even if they did not reach us, we have evidence that they attempted to.

    Having a whitelist system is VERY different and has many unforeseen consequences. From as little as, your mother got a new phone and soon she cannot reach you, you got a beautiful girls number and want to ask her on a date but cannot reach her. To bigger issues like your teenage child is mad at you and deletes your contact from their phone. Job offers will be missed, you will become unreachable in emergencies etc. The short of this is, the best case of such a feature is that you don't need to install a third party app to block spam calls, the worst case of such a feature is people can literally die cause they cannot contact you or vice versa. If I was a phone manufacturer. I just won't even allow this. There are easier ways to solve the underlying problem without opening the door for worse outcomes

  • by crispytx on 1/30/19, 6:51 AM

    Hey Tones411, I actually created an app that does this for Android called RoboStop. Check it out! Unfortunately Google will be removing the app from the Play Store on March 9th due to increased restrictions regarding access to user's data (call logs), but I plan on moving the app over to RoboStop.org in about a month from now.
  • by wyred on 1/30/19, 3:27 AM

    What if it was a legitimate emergency?

    Like if someone used your number as an emergency contact. Or some hospital in the world trying to contact you because someone you know got hospitalized (touch wood).

  • by stevenicr on 1/30/19, 4:46 AM

    Assuming op is using an iPhone?

    I was looking into this for a friend and found something a couple of tutorials for making it happen with iphone, but they all said you had to use the interface from a computer (desktop/laptop) - that the call filtering and time block feature was not accessible via the phone's interface. (this was about a year ago?) - you could make your phone go silent, but let a selected set of contact be able to ring, or perhaps give another set of contacts the option to turn off your silent mode if they coded twice within 5 minutes or something?

    I think there is built in methods for this with do not disturb and assorted options with that feature on newish android without third party apps right?

    (I currently frequently use a "timed silent profile" app that I paid the premium for years ago, but I think I ran into these settings on base android in the past year.

  • by lsllc on 1/30/19, 3:10 AM

    This. It's a complete nightmare, I get 5-10 junk calls a day, all from "local" numbers. I gave up blocking them as they are seemingly random. Some of the calls are in Chinese!

    At this point I just don't answer a call that's not in my contacts, but I should be able to enable this as the default. If it's someone that really wants to talk to me, then they'll leave voicemail.

    I shouldn't have to use Do-Not-Disturb; that's for something else (don't ring my phone at all when I am sleeping), also I don't want to lose my other notifications.

    The telcos charge for a "blocking" service so they have no incentive to do anything about it ... but I don't understand why Apple hasn't addressed this (maybe today's 15% decline in iPhone sales is people saying f-it and switching to Android where you can get apps to block calls).

  • by altmind on 1/30/19, 1:52 AM

    Just checked, I got this feature on stock samsung s8(phone-settings-block numbers-block unknown callers)? Are you talking about iphone(as if it is a default phone vendor) ?
  • by IanCal on 1/30/19, 11:36 AM

    This feels a bit tech-supporty. Are you sure you can't? There seem to apps for doing call blocking on both Android and iOS. I'd be absolutely shocked if none of them allow checking against your contacts.
  • by aiyodev on 1/30/19, 2:12 AM

    This is still possible with Google Voice but through the legacy menu. I hope they aren't planning to drop these features any time soon.

    You can screen calls or automatically send them to voicemail. You can create rules for groups of contacts that override the default. You can setup different voicemail messages for different groups.

    I have it setup to send everyone but friends and family to voicemail. The transcript of this message is emailed to me. If I get multiple spam voicemails from the same number, I add the number to a contact called "Block" which sends them to a custom voicemail message I recorded telling them the number has been disconnected.

    My number is posted on websites, I use it when signing up for shady things, but I hardly ever get spam. I remember having to add a lot of numbers the first month and then suddenly the torrent of spam calls abruptly stopped. I assume they blacklisted my number on their lists. I've been pretty much spam free for years.

  • by YeahSureWhyNot on 1/30/19, 4:32 AM

    I wish there was no unlimited calling and texting. 1 cent per minute/text is ideal. cheap enough for everyone to afford and expensive enough to make massive scale spam calling business unprofitable. same for emails. make emails cost 1 cent per email that gets donated to whatever good cause and watch spam drop by 90%
  • by jpeeler on 1/30/19, 2:49 PM

    Android (not familiar with iPhone at all) has solved the problem of blocking unwanted calls, but has it intertwined with "do not disturb", which also affects notifications. I think we'd all enjoy having the feature separated out so that phone calls can be filtered as desired without assuming a silent/lesser mode needs enabling.

    On an unrelated note, I've many times wished the phone protocol was upgraded to send metadata of your choosing along with the caller ID. Not even asking for a standard, because it'd probably suck. Just provide the means to send some optional data along with the call (which could ultimately put the nail in the coffin of land lines). The primary use case I had in mind would be to authenticate identity (since caller ID can be spoofed), but I'm sure a bunch of new uses would be utilized.

  • by TYPE_FASTER on 1/30/19, 2:12 AM

    Get a Google Voice number. Give your cell number to people, the Google Voice number everywhere else. You can configure Google Voice to send all calls to voicemail if you want. And I think you can still configure it to send you a transcription via text. Spam calls won't leave a message.
  • by chrisBob on 1/30/19, 3:22 PM

    I still get regular spam calls, but I can always look and identify them. My cell phone has a 315 area code, and the only other person I know with a similar number is on my contact list. Absolutely anything else from a 315 number is spam. If I get something from the same number twice then I add it to my "SPAM" contact which is blocked.

    The Hiya app also helps somewhat. I didn't realize how good a job carriers like T-Mobile do at filtering out the Spam calls until I switched to XFinity Mobile and went from 1-2 calls per week to 5 in the first day. Hiya brings the number back down inline with T-Mobile, and might be the same database T-Mobile uses on the backend.

  • by cs_advice on 1/30/19, 3:11 PM

    At least in Spain you can ask to be in the Robinson list and then, no company can call you for advertisements or offers unless you're a client of them. AND, in Spain is against the data protection law to do marketing calls from mobile phones if you're not their client. So they can get into trouble if they do.

    You can always set you're phone to ignore calls, but this doesn't avoid the call to reach your phone. However, the robinson list does.

    "Is an opt-out list of people who do not wish to receive marketing transmissions"

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_list

  • by mgerdts on 1/30/19, 5:47 AM

    I've been pretty happy with blacklist blocker.

    https://github.com/kaliturin/BlackList

    I had to work some magic (which I have since forgotten) to convince my S9+ to ignore this background process, else it would stop working after a few hours.

    The key thing that I wish it had was a quick way to allow unknown calls for a specified time. This would have been helpful when given the option of staying on hold for an extended period of time or receiving a callback - or when you get that "my connection is crap, let me call you back on another line."

  • by trixie_ on 1/30/19, 5:26 AM

    I don't answer calls from unknown numbers as well, but still having my phone ring only to ignore it multiple times per day is annoying. Apple should really make this a first class feature for iPhone users at least.
  • by aws_ls on 1/30/19, 8:14 AM

    I have felt it since long, that phone calls should be like emails. For example, the ring should include an (optional) recorded subject of the caller (of course, may be heard on demand, by the receiver of the call for privacy reasons). In fact anyone not in contact list, should be required to send a brief voice subject/purpose of calling, which may be limited to 10 seconds. Also we should be able to respond by pressing a 'Not interested' button.

    This will take the problem of spam away.

  • by RileyJames on 1/30/19, 3:26 AM

    I got a “new” number when I moved to Canada. The ONLY calls I receive (about 2 per week) are robo call spam / scams. The messages repeat once in English and then in mandarin. (It’s a Vancouver number.. only logic I can see).

    Most of the time they go straight to voicemail and leave the same message.

    All my real friends FaceTime, signal, iMessage, etc.

    It bewilders me that telcos haven’t done anything about this. It’s 100% of my incoming calls... and they only about 2 unique actual messages, pre recorded...

  • by pdx6 on 1/30/19, 3:02 AM

    It is pretty annoying -- you'd think there would be an out of the box solution for this. We can block IPs, why not phone numbers?

    With the Galaxy 9, there are some Name ID features built in if you use T-Mobile. For iOS on T-Mobile, I do:

    1. Pay for T-Mobile Plus to get Name ID.

    2. Install the Name ID app and enable all the blocking features.

    3. Manage Blocks, Go to VM, and whitelist contacts

    Another thread mentions Exchange Blocker, this also helps with exchange alias scams and is a light weight app that takes a minute to install.

  • by crankylinuxuser on 1/30/19, 2:50 PM

    My solution for Android is to do the following

    1. Set system ringtone to "nothing" 2. Set ringtones for people I want to not miss 3. Suppress annoying notifications

    Takes care of most problems.

  • by ssharp on 1/30/19, 1:43 PM

    A few years ago, prior to the recent rush of non-stop robo calls that many people experience today, I was fraudulently put on some diabetes sales list (I don't even have it) and would get calls daily on it, often from the same number.

    At the time, AT&T, if you gave them a few dollars a month, would let you block 5 numbers. It was the most unbelievably stupid policy I had ever seen and almost caused me to churn, which I probably should have done.

  • by tonyquart on 1/31/19, 7:24 AM

    Well, I personally choose to just ignore them. Blocking each of them are a waste of time. By ignoring them, I think along with time, they will consider my phone number as an inactive number. Sometimes I also look up the numbers on Google or some sites like http://whycall.me and just post some reports about those numbers if I find people have reported them as scams.
  • by jotux on 1/30/19, 4:50 AM

    I use this android app (paid $1 for the ad-free version): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vladlee.ca...

    It specifically has a setting to force all non-contact list calls to voicemail. I had to do this when I started getting 8-10 spam calls a day.

  • by jenkstom on 1/31/19, 8:37 PM

    So when you call 911 or emergency services the first or second thing you are asked for is your phone number so you can be called back if needed. Trust me... you are NOT going to remember to turn off blocking when things go pear shaped. Obviously it's your own choice, but it could become a life and death issue in rare circumstances.
  • by nikanj on 1/30/19, 9:06 AM

    Because your phone company is a much bigger customer than you are, and they make termination fees on every call you receive.
  • by giantzoc on 1/30/19, 11:26 PM

    I have been using shouldianswer which has this feature. https://www.shouldianswer.com/ I was getting constant spam phone calls before I started using this app. The app was also clear about why it needed certain permissions.
  • by baroffoos on 1/30/19, 4:23 AM

    This doesn't sound like an ideal solution to me. Most of the legitimate calls I get are from numbers I have never seen before like delivery people asking where they should leave a package and such. I added my self to the Australian do not call list and have received virtually no spam calls in years.
  • by otterpro on 1/30/19, 4:56 PM

    Does anyone know if we can get 900 number on our cell phone, which would charge the caller for each call? On landline, we were able to call a psychic on a 1-900 numbers (and 0900 in Europe) for a fee. If I charged $1.99 for each call, I wouldn't mind answering even those spam calls.
  • by james_niro on 1/30/19, 4:16 PM

    One IPhone you can turn Do Not Disturb option and only allow calls from your contact list. All other calls will be muted. Also, I do not answers numbers which I do not recognize and send it to voicemail, If they don’t leave voicemail I will add that number to my block list.
  • by huxflux on 1/30/19, 3:42 AM

    I use a Chinese Android phone called OPPO R17 Pro, and I have exactly this feature built into the stock-rom (ColorOS) and a bunch of other really cool once, such as block foreign numbers, numbers not in my contact list, numbers not on my VIP-list, service numbers etc.
  • by DonHopkins on 1/30/19, 5:46 AM

    I'm in the Netherlands and I hardly ever get any spam calls on my T-Mobile phone. Is there some reason like Dutch regulations, or are spam calls pandemic in the US because of American deregulation, or am I just unpopular with the spammers?
  • by Haitischmock on 1/30/19, 6:13 AM

    I'm using a Moto X Play with Android 7.1.1. In the "do not disturb"-mode you can select "only important interruptions" which only lets through phone calls or notifications from your contacts.
  • by astrostl on 1/30/19, 4:52 PM

    How many spam calls are folks averaging per day?

    I probably get one (1) every 3-6 months, and I answer calls from unknown numbers without hesitation. I've also been using the same mobile number for more than two decades.

  • by jarfil on 1/30/19, 9:29 AM

    You can on a Huawei:

    - Block unknown/hidden numbers

    - Block all strangers (non-contact numbers)

    - Block all incoming calls

  • by stonogo on 1/30/19, 2:34 AM

    They used to, before the Android/iOS takeover of the industry.

    Competition was nice.

  • by roland35 on 1/30/19, 7:25 PM

    From reading this thread (and from my own experience) it seems the best way to mitigate spam calls is to buy your phone in an area code away from your home! Spam always finds a way...
  • by anigbrowl on 1/30/19, 1:28 AM

    Because nobody wants to download a third party phone call app?
  • by moonbug on 1/30/19, 1:56 PM

    Phones should be like Victorian children. Seen but not heard.
  • by davidjnelson on 1/30/19, 4:15 AM

    Are you on the do not call list? https://www.donotcall.gov
  • by ubermonkey on 1/30/19, 2:23 PM

    I'm using an app on my iPhone called RoboKiller, and HOLY CRAP has it cut my spam calls to virtually nil.

    It's worth looking into for sure.

  • by piyush_soni on 1/30/19, 2:17 AM

    There are many apps that do the same, at least on Android I've personally tried, but i guess should be the case on iPhone too.
  • by twodayslate on 1/30/19, 4:57 AM

    I recently installed RoboKiller on my phone and the number of spam calls on my phone has dropped to zero
  • by slater on 1/30/19, 1:26 AM

    Or even maybe just a wildcard option, e.g. "block all calls from 555-*" would be nice
  • by simonCGN on 1/30/19, 6:41 AM

    Seems to be a US problem. I als never get unsolicited calls in my country.
  • by undoware on 1/30/19, 1:56 AM

    Oh, easy. Collection agencies.

    Collection agencies are a vital part of the capitalist financial apparatus. Banks rely on them to enforce loan term agreements, and in turn defend them when in negotiation with e.g. Apple, when e.g. negotiating agreements regarding e.g. Apple Pay. I suspect (but cannot prove) an elaborate leaning on mobile companies to keep nonconsensual cold calls possible.

    Look for this state-of-affairs to change abruptly when being in arrears can directly affect the state of your device.

    I expect, by 2025 at the latest, that mobile service and handset providers will begin kneecapping devices whose owners have displeased Equifax. When this occurs, it will no longer be necessary to allow nonconsensual calls, and there will be much touting of the new-and-improved DND.

    Probably court summons and legal stuff works similarly, so my second prediction is that, around the same time, it will be possible to serve you notice of a subpoena by unblockable alert.

  • by anticensor on 1/30/19, 3:04 PM

    You can, but only bidirectionally (called fixed dialling restriction).
  • by s17tnet on 1/30/19, 6:11 AM

    Uh, I can do in my cheap old Moto G5 plus with almost-stock Android.
  • by muraliSKDV on 1/30/19, 8:22 AM

    It is better to make separate ringtone for your ringtone for both.
  • by mattmaroon on 1/30/19, 12:11 PM

    There are plenty of Android apps that let you do that.
  • by exabrial on 1/30/19, 4:15 PM

    And send every unknown to Jolly Roger phone company
  • by Kiro on 1/30/19, 8:03 AM

    I just want to block all calls, period.
  • by randomacct3847 on 1/30/19, 4:17 AM

    Data only SIM + google voice?
  • by mathewspolin on 1/30/19, 1:33 AM

    iOS "do not disturb" does this.
  • by fxfan on 1/30/19, 9:17 AM

    I sincerely hope bb open sources their bb10 os.

    It was absolutely the best thing ever for notification control. (outside of old blackberries)

  • by 420codebro on 1/30/19, 3:00 PM

    The STIR/SHAKEN framework once implemented will give you a very good indicator of the callers identity.