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iPhone The iOS 12 Call Blocker Thread

willmtaylor

willmtaylor

macrumors G4
Original poster
Oct 31, 2009
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I do believe it’s time for an update. Almost everyone I know is the victim of continuous spoofing or robocalling by spammers.

Which call blockers are you using?

Which have you tried and didn’t like? Why not?

Let’s help each other out a bit here.
 
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Hi Will,

I use “Hiya Caller ID and Block”. I just set it and forget it. It’s literally blocked 99.9% of spam calls. I use to get quite a few spam calls before installing it. Very pleased with it. I use the basic version.
 
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As stated in another thread, Hiya used to work great but now I’m not sure it’s doing anything. At any rate, it’s not blocking the several spam calls I get a day that appear as though they’re calling from the NJ area.
 
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scjr said:
Hi Will,

I use “Hiya Caller ID and Block”. I just set it and forget it. It’s literally blocked 99.9% of spam calls. I use to get quite a few spam calls before installing it. Very pleased with it. I use the basic version.
Click to expand...
I’ve also used Hiya for quite sometime, but I’m finding myself less and less satisfied with it as of late.

While it still alerts me to quite a few spoofed calls, it seems to be letting more through than it used to.

Additionally, in previous versions, users could look up unidentified numbers, but now users must pay for this service. This has left me considering others) even paid services.
 
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Yep, I use Hiya, but lately over the past month I have had a significant spike in calls
And I too would like some more recommendations

I don't know what has changed, if callers are getting more sophisticated in getting through or what
But it is certainly annoying
 
I did just notice my Hiya app didn’t seem to be working right - the “Hiya - Spam and Block” radio box in Call Blocking and Identification settings section was just spinning its wheel, never looking fully enabled. I wonder if it was bugged out?
[doublepost=1539007900][/doublepost]At any rate, I just deleted the app entirely and re-downloaded it and went through the initial setup process again. I’ll report back if there’s any change.
 

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willmtaylor said:
I’ve also used Hiya for quite sometime, but I’m finding myself less and less satisfied with it as of late.

While it still alerts me to quite a few spoofed calls, it seems to be letting more through than it used to.

Additionally, in previous versions, users could look up unidentified numbers, but now users must pay for this service. This has left me considering others) even paid services.
Click to expand...
Interesting. I’ve had no issues at all with Hiya. I periodically open up the app and update the signatures.

I can’t comment on the other feature, because I use the basic call blocking functions only.
 
I use Hiya and Nomorobo. Recently neither seem to be doing their job. I'll have a spam call ring through, then look up the number in the apps and see it has been identified as telemarketer. So the service knows it's a spam call yet still lets it through.

I'm on iOS 12 beta 2, not sure if that has anything to do with it.
 
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[MOD NOTE]
Removed Official from the title as this isn't an official thread.
 
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I started using WideProtect about a month ago. I was also receiving quite a few junk calls from NJ, and while this app doesn't natively block "spam" calls, it allows for me to set prefixes and block all numbers within that range. For example, right now I have all numbers within (201) 200-**** and (201) 205-**** blocked on my phone.

It's a paid app (and I believe the developer is around here as well), but much easier than blocking individual numbers as they come through. Also, I was never comfortable with registering my number on any of the other apps, as if their databases become breached, it's just been confirmed as a legitimate phone number (same reason it's advised not to register on the "do not call" list).
 
I've used TrueCaller until they, against my will, toggled on "SPAM" contact setting that adds a contact called "SPAM" to your contacts with thousands of spam numbers, several goddamn times (even when I flicked it off and deleted the contact). That somehow put me on a few scam bot call lists cause of apps like WhatsApp and Facebook syncing the numbers to their servers, which probably triggered some bot somewhere somehow. Can't recommend that app, if you use it probably best to turn off contacts permissions for it.
Blocked a few numbers and the calls stopped, currently running no call blockers but debating installing Hiya again. Only annoying thing is they all want my number and contacts to offer proper blocking?
 
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akash.nu said:
I’m surprised so many people do get spam calls so often. Only rarely I get some and I just put them in the blocked list. No extra apps required.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately just pure luck has a quite a bit to do with it all.
 
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solodogg said:
I started using WideProtect about a month ago. I was also receiving quite a few junk calls from NJ, and while this app doesn't natively block "spam" calls, it allows for me to set prefixes and block all numbers within that range. For example, right now I have all numbers within (201) 200-**** and (201) 205-**** blocked on my phone.

It's a paid app (and I believe the developer is around here as well), but much easier than blocking individual numbers as they come through. Also, I was never comfortable with registering my number on any of the other apps, as if their databases become breached, it's just been confirmed as a legitimate phone number (same reason it's advised not to register on the "do not call" list).
Click to expand...

Hadn't heard of this app before, but installing now to check out. I like that you can specify ranges. I get neighborhood calls spoofing not just my cell number, but also a couple of office numbers.

Funny you mention NJ..I'm in AZ and the last few days I get calls from Bayonne, NJ daily, 201-215-XXXX, with the last four changing all the time.
 
C DM said:
Unfortunately just pure luck has a quite a bit to do with it all.
Click to expand...

I agree. For a while I was getting tons of robocalls, even with Hiya installed. Lately they seem to have decreased, but not entirely gone, even though I have a new phone w/ no app installed. I think it's just luck of the draw if you happen to be on their spam list at that moment.
 
JWreck said:
As stated in another thread, Hiya used to work great but now I’m not sure it’s doing anything. At any rate, it’s not blocking the several spam calls I get a day that appear as though they’re calling from the NJ area.
Click to expand...
All of my spam calls also come from New Jersey.
 
Think it is getting harder and harder to block due to extensive number spoofing - most of my garbage looks as if it comes from same area code and 3 digit start of the number that I have. If phone companies weren't paying off the government so heavily they probably could technically do something about it but the phone companies want phone calls.
 
Blockers that rely on crowd-sourced number reporting are now substantially obsolete. As mentioned above, the majority of spam calls now spoof random numbers, often in your own general location to further lure in the recipients.

Another problem is that many of the blockers "phone home" to make their decisions. This is unacceptable.

I'd like to hear comments about which apps can simply whitelist your contacts or favorites for both calls and texts. Are there any?
 
Using Hiya here as well. Works quite well although it frequently nags you to launch the app to update it. It should update in the background but doesn’t seem to. It’s set to send most of the intercepted calls immediately to voice mail which it does quite well. Over the past couple years I have had to delete it once or twice and then reinstall to regain certain functions, but that’s iOS and isn’t that unusual. Tried TrueCaller for a while and as the other poster mentioned it creates a Spam contact in the Contact app with hundreds, thousands(?) of numbers that will be blocked. Didn’t really like that and it wasn’t that effective overall. And that Spam contact was a bitch to delete.

They all have flaws but Hiya has worked pretty efficiently, is simple to set up, and the free version works fine.
 
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