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Strangely enough, given Android's comparatively-customizable nature, I think this is an area where iOS does it better? (Others might correct me.) iOS 10 added

by kemayo 9y ago

Strangely enough, given Android's comparatively-customizable nature, I think this is an area where iOS does it better? (Others might correct me.) iOS 10 added "call blocking" as an app-type, which lets you choose apps which can filter phone calls for you. They can flag calls as possible-spam, or completely block them. (See [1] for Hiya's options screen, as an example.) An "only ring for my friends" feature is sort of possible. You can keep your phone in "do not disturb" mode, and add people who you want to be able to call you to your "VIPs" list to let them through. That's a fair bit of manual management, though, which is a pain. I don't think it's possible to make a call-blocker app which functions as a whitelist, sadly, because I think this is like their browser content blockers and operates as the app providing a list of blocked numbers for privacy reasons. [1]: https://imgur.com/a/Yftxy https://imgur.com/a/Yftxy

programbreeding 9y ago
Hiya exists for Android as well and has very high ratings [1]. I have used Android since v3 and you have been able to change the dialer to a custom app for at least that long. You have also been able to limit ringing while in Do Not Disturb to starred contacts only, or even just "contacts" to eliminate the need to manage it like you mentioned [2]. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.webascender.callerid&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.webascende... [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15678075 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15678075
- kemayo 9y ago
  Informative, thanks! I admit a notable chunk of my reasoning there was that the OP couldn't find a way to do it, so it probably wasn't built in. (I haven't used Android seriously in the last 5 years or so.)
vilmosi 9y ago
Android can absolutely do this. Either via settings or replacing the default calling app.
- daveFNbuck 9y ago
  How can you do this via settings in Android? I've spent hours searching for the answer and have yet to find it.
  - tyingq 9y ago
    Add spammers phone as a contact, then select "all calls to voicemail" for that contact.
    - daveFNbuck 9y ago
      That's not a very useful solution if I have to do it once for each spammer. You wouldn't accept that for e-mail.
    - Zarel 9y ago
      You can't add "Private Number" as a contact, nor can you block it.
      - dragonwriter 9y ago
        Even pre-smartphone landline systems could block (or route direct to VM) numbers with blocked caller ID. You absolutely can block such numbers in the stock Android phone app; some online sources indicate iOS lacks this basic feature, but I don't know if they are accurate and current.
        daveFNbuck 9y ago
        How do you block calls from numbers with blocked caller ID in the stock Android phone app? I can't find that option.
        dragonwriter 9y ago
        “block unknown callers” in the call blocking settings.
jey 9y ago
> I don't think it's possible to make a call-blocker app which functions as a whitelist, sadly, because I think this is like their browser content blockers and operates as the app providing a list of blocked numbers for privacy reasons. Oh, that must be why the AT&T Call Protect app fails to block spammers the first time they call me. Always wondered about that.
chris_7 9y ago
> I don't think it's possible to make a call-blocker app which functions as a whitelist, sadly, because I think this is like their browser content blockers and operates as the app providing a list of blocked numbers for privacy reasons. There's only 10,000,000,000 phone numbers, not even eliminating area codes that don't exist. I wonder if iOS will break on that...?
dingo_bat 9y ago
Parent's phone is weird that it doesn't have a call-blocking feature. All flagship androids give you the option to block spam calls.
- loeg 9y ago
  Even if the number changes every time? The common pattern lately is a number with the same leading six digits as my actual phone number, followed by a presumably falsified last four digits. As far as I know, these are randomly generated.
aero142 9y ago
The problem with Hiya as I understand it is that it is limited by CallKit list size. I'm not 100% sure of this, but I think Apple's implementation requires a fully offline call list so that your phone calls are not sent to a public server and could be logged. This means that the number of phone numbers that Hiya can call spam must be downloaded ahead of time and loaded into CallKit. What I see often is that a phone number will not be flagged as spam, but if I query the number through the app later, it will correctly show it as spam. Someone correct my if I am wrong, but I think this is the problem.
rootw0rm 9y ago
So basically iOS doesn't do it better and equally sucks.
em3rgent0rdr 9y ago
I was looking at F-Droid repo and found QuiteSleep from 2012 which has option to "block unknown", so seems android solved this long ago.
giancarlostoro 9y ago
I have my phone set to "Do Not Disturb" and it allows me to define that only starred contacts or regular contacts are allowed to get through. Given that most people I know rarely ever call I think it's a sane enough config setting. I have an Android Phone, more specifically an LG G5. No app required in my case, it's just hidden in the settings.

by kemayo 9y ago

programbreeding 9y ago

Hiya exists for Android as well and has very high ratings [1]. I have used Android since v3 and you have been able to change the dialer to a custom app for at least that long. You have also been able to limit ringing while in Do Not Disturb to starred contacts only, or even just "contacts" to eliminate the need to manage it like you mentioned [2]. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.webascender.callerid&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.webascende... [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15678075 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15678075

kemayo 9y ago
Informative, thanks! I admit a notable chunk of my reasoning there was that the OP couldn't find a way to do it, so it probably wasn't built in. (I haven't used Android seriously in the last 5 years or so.)

vilmosi 9y ago

Android can absolutely do this. Either via settings or replacing the default calling app.

daveFNbuck 9y ago
How can you do this via settings in Android? I've spent hours searching for the answer and have yet to find it.
- tyingq 9y ago
  Add spammers phone as a contact, then select "all calls to voicemail" for that contact.
  - daveFNbuck 9y ago
    That's not a very useful solution if I have to do it once for each spammer. You wouldn't accept that for e-mail.
  - Zarel 9y ago
    You can't add "Private Number" as a contact, nor can you block it.
    - dragonwriter 9y ago
      Even pre-smartphone landline systems could block (or route direct to VM) numbers with blocked caller ID. You absolutely can block such numbers in the stock Android phone app; some online sources indicate iOS lacks this basic feature, but I don't know if they are accurate and current.
      - daveFNbuck 9y ago
        How do you block calls from numbers with blocked caller ID in the stock Android phone app? I can't find that option.
        dragonwriter 9y ago
        “block unknown callers” in the call blocking settings.

jey 9y ago

> I don't think it's possible to make a call-blocker app which functions as a whitelist, sadly, because I think this is like their browser content blockers and operates as the app providing a list of blocked numbers for privacy reasons. Oh, that must be why the AT&T Call Protect app fails to block spammers the first time they call me. Always wondered about that.

chris_7 9y ago

> I don't think it's possible to make a call-blocker app which functions as a whitelist, sadly, because I think this is like their browser content blockers and operates as the app providing a list of blocked numbers for privacy reasons. There's only 10,000,000,000 phone numbers, not even eliminating area codes that don't exist. I wonder if iOS will break on that...?

dingo_bat 9y ago

Parent's phone is weird that it doesn't have a call-blocking feature. All flagship androids give you the option to block spam calls.

loeg 9y ago
Even if the number changes every time? The common pattern lately is a number with the same leading six digits as my actual phone number, followed by a presumably falsified last four digits. As far as I know, these are randomly generated.

aero142 9y ago

The problem with Hiya as I understand it is that it is limited by CallKit list size. I'm not 100% sure of this, but I think Apple's implementation requires a fully offline call list so that your phone calls are not sent to a public server and could be logged. This means that the number of phone numbers that Hiya can call spam must be downloaded ahead of time and loaded into CallKit. What I see often is that a phone number will not be flagged as spam, but if I query the number through the app later, it will correctly show it as spam. Someone correct my if I am wrong, but I think this is the problem.

rootw0rm 9y ago

So basically iOS doesn't do it better and equally sucks.

em3rgent0rdr 9y ago

I was looking at F-Droid repo and found QuiteSleep from 2012 which has option to "block unknown", so seems android solved this long ago.

giancarlostoro 9y ago

I have my phone set to "Do Not Disturb" and it allows me to define that only starred contacts or regular contacts are allowed to get through. Given that most people I know rarely ever call I think it's a sane enough config setting. I have an Android Phone, more specifically an LG G5. No app required in my case, it's just hidden in the settings.