Commercial phone calls have become an uncontrolled problem, which no law seems able to stop, leaving people helpless and frustrated. The problem has become even more serious since commercial companies use telemarketing devices to sell subscriptions by calling numbers automatically. The result is the reception of phone calls where nobody talks or, worse, where after a few seconds you are greeted with a clearly artificial voice that says "goodbye". Luckily we can intervene on modern smartphones to immediately block calls from a private or unknown number on both Android and iPhone, in many cases without even having to install apps (even if you get the best results with them, since they act totally automatically). Let's see together how to automatically block calls from unknown numbers or from anonymous private numbers, so that we can stop the scourge of commercial numbers or unwanted calls once and for all.
How to block phone calls from unknown or private numbers
In the following chapters we will show you both the blocking methods integrated on Android phones and iPhones and the apps that we can use to stop unwanted calls or calls from unknown and private numbers; many of the methods act in a non-selective way (either block everything or block nothing), while the apps in most cases use shared databases (based on the opinions of other users) with which we can automatically identify the calls to be blocked.Activate lock integrated in Android
If you have an Android phone, the procedure for recognizing and blocking an unwanted number, even if it may vary from device to device, is quite simple: select the number, recognized as unwanted, and choose the Block or Block item number from the menu. Doing so will block calls and messages from that number.On some latest generation Android, such as Samsung Galaxy, the Hiya app is integrated which allows, through the caller ID function and spam protection, to identify the numbers that are not stored in the Phonebook until the user is notified when a call in arrival could be spam.
In other Android smartphones we can find the Google Phone app (not installable on all phones), which integrates a blocking of spam calls directly in the settings. To enable this block, simply open the Phone app, press on the menu with the three dots at the top right, select Settings, press on the Caller ID and spam menu and finally activate the items Display call and spam ID and Spam filter for calls .
By activating these two items we will immediately have feedback of the unknown numbers that call us (even if they are not present in the address book: we will be shown the identification of the companies or freelancers present on the Google search pages) and we will automatically block the phone numbers identified as "spam", blocking every ring.
The filtering system offered by Google is not available on other Android devices, but we can still block unknown numbers or the numbers they call with anonymous, so as to be disturbed as little as possible; we will obviously have to recover all the numbers of the people from whom we want to be contacted to avoid losing important calls such as those of the courier, the pizza delivery boy etc.
To activate this type of block we open the Calls or Phone app on our device, open the menu with the three dots at the top right or go to the Call Settings menu (usually also present as a button with the three lines at the bottom left ), press on Block list, Block number or Call filter (depending on the phone in use), open the Block list menu (or similar menus) and activate the items Block calls from strangers and Block calls from hidden numbers .
If, on the other hand, we want to manually set the numbers to be blocked, simply press the Blocked numbers menu in the screen shown above or press the unknown number in the call log and use the Block or Block number item .
Activate integrated lock on iPhone
On iPhones it is possible to block private numbers and unknown numbers in a very simple way; all we have to do is open the Settings app, go to the Phone menu and activate the check mark next to the item Unknown numbers, present in the Deactivating blocked calls and contacts section.If you are in the Phone app or in FaceTime, simply go to the (s) next to the phone number or contact to be blocked, scroll the screen to the bottom, and do Block Contact .
In this way, every call received by an unknown number or an anonymous number will be blocked at the system level and will not make the phone ring; obviously also in this case the same considerations made for Android apply, since blocking all unknown numbers also means losing important calls from couriers, bellboys etc.
If, on the other hand, we are looking for a more selective blocking method without involving "good" unknown calls, it is better to install one of the recommended apps on the iPhone below and configure it in the Call and identification block menu, from which we will have to activate the permission in order to act on all the incoming calls (essential to get the block).
App to block calls on Android and iPhone
The methods seen so far do not offer a very selective filtering (excluding the method proposed by the Google Phone app): either all unknown / anonymous calls are blocked or all are passed.To have a selective call filter that can block only commercial numbers or nuisance numbers, we will have to install one of the apps shown below.
1) TrueCaller
The first app that we recommend you try to block calls from private or unknown numbers is TrueCaller, available for Android and iPhone.
Truecaller requires registration with its phone number to create an account, but with this small price the app will immediately start working preventing the phone from ringing when it is called by a number that the Truecaller user community had already reported as a nuisance, call center or unwanted numbers. Since there are already many Truecaller users in Italy, almost every number has already been reported, so the problem should already be solved without having to manually intervene. If, however, we were to receive a call from a number not yet included in the Truecaller block list, we can in turn report the number in the application, so as to contribute to the effectiveness of the filter.
2) Hiya
Another useful app to filter calls from private or unknown numbers is Hiya, available for Android and iPhone.
With this application we will have a system of recognition of unknown numbers and the system of identification of numbers indicated as scams or scams, so that we can ignore calls marked as unwanted on the fly; with the right configurations we can also prevent annoying numbers from ringing, so as not to waste time looking at the screen while waiting for a very important call.
3) I should answer "> Android and iPhone.
This app has a constantly updated database of call center numbers and numbers with automatic robot voice, so that you can block all unwanted calls or calls from private numbers before others. We can set the app as the default call system, so as to immediately display the evaluation on the calling number even before answering; for the more demanding, however, we can set the total block of numbers reported as spam or call centers, so as never to ring the phone.
4) Mr. Number
Another alternative application to those seen so far is Mr. Number, equally effective on both Android and iPhone.
Just like the previous apps, it allows you to set up a recognition system for unknown calls, as well as block anonymous numbers or numbers indicated as spam or scam from the shared database in the bud (without making it ring) (also created thanks to the use of user ratings) ). This app uses the same database as Hiya, so it has similar efficacy.
Calls Blacklist
The application for Android phones, is also free but does not rely, unlike the previous one, on any online archive for viewing and identifying calls. It is able to block both calls and SMS messages from unwanted numbers simply by entering the unwanted number in a black list. It also allows you to blacklist numbers in your phone book and not just unknown ones. It is a stable and light app, which takes up little memory but is very effective. links
tellows
For Android and IOS, the application is based on the principle of data sharing and provides Caller ID and information on any unknown number. Users, every day, through the platform, review new telephone numbers and this guarantees the system to be always updated, to such an extent that, in a short time, even the new call center that is pestering you, will be registered and can be blocked. An interesting difference with the other apps is that unwanted calls will be reported with a score ranging from 1 (very serious) to 9 (not very serious). The user himself can then decide to become an active part in the reports by connecting with your account and indicating the numbers to watch out for. Link for Android Link for IOS
Conclusions
Blocking calls from a private or unknown number is really very simple and, in some cases, just change some phone settings to have a very effective anonymous call filter. On iPhones and on most Android devices we can automatically block unwanted or annoying calls using one of the indicated apps: to decree the best we will have to try them all until we find the one that blocks all the unwanted numbers that contact us frequently.As for the landline phone, as mentioned above, there is not much to do but ask for registration in the register of oppositions and take countermeasures already explained in the guide on how to block unwanted commercial calls on landlines and mobile phones .
In another guide we have shown you Find out the private number of the caller, so you can find out who always calls us with the anonymous.
In another guide instead we showed you how to block calls from unwanted numbers and unwanted SMS (Android), to be followed if we also want to block SMS full of spam or intrusive advertising.
Aside from running for cover, once you receive unwanted calls, remember that one of the golden rules for not finding yourself in the network of call centers is definitely not to provide your phone when you sign up for sites or services that require the number. mobile phone. Whenever you sign up for something online and agree to transfer your data for commercial purposes to third parties, in fact, your number is entered as a real commodity on the global market and, at that point, it is difficult for us to can be saved!
