7 ms·

I got pretty fed up with robocalls and none of the existing iPhone apps that use a blacklist approach really worked since robocallers and spam callers can just

I got pretty fed up with robocalls and none of the existing iPhone apps that use a blacklist approach really worked since robocallers and spam callers can just fake their number or use recycled numbers. I created an iPhone app called MyHumans that takes the opposite approach with a whitelist using your phone contacts. Other callers are sent to voicemail without ringing your phone. It has an easy to access switch where you can temporarily disable any blocking for a time period, like an hour, if you're expecting a one-off call from a recruiter or whatever. It works really well for me. Spammers rarely bother leaving a voicemail and legitimate businesses leave a voicemail that I can follow-up on later. https://www.myhumansapp.com https://www.myhumansapp.com

davio 7y ago
Is that different from Silence Unknown Callers in IOS 13?
- mifreewil 7y ago
  I honestly would use that instead if there was a quick way to disable without digging through the settings app.
  - davio 7y ago
    Maybe through shortcuts? I foiled myself and missed an important call the first time I used that setting. It was a call I expected, but not a contact.
    - CharlesW 7y ago
      > Maybe through shortcuts? Kinda! You can make an iOS shortcut to take you right to the Phone settings, at which point turning "Silence Unknown Callers" on/off is a one-tap operation. To do this, create a shortcut to open the URL "prefs:root=Phone". You can find more detail and a bunch more interesting options here: https://www.macstories.net/ios/a-comprehensive-guide-to-all-120-settings-urls-supported-by-ios-and-ipados-13-1/ https://www.macstories.net/ios/a-comprehensive-guide-to-all-...
TuringNYC 7y ago
Serious question - do you ever worry that perhaps you'll get a call from a hospital about a loved one, or from a school about a hurt child, etc?
- mmhsieh 7y ago
  they can leave a message, which shows up almost immediately
  - ebg13 7y ago
    Checking voicemails actually takes longer and involves more steps than answering calls.
    - noirbot 7y ago
      Sure, but in my experience, most robo-calls don't actually leave messages. I maybe get a message every week or two, but I'll have multiple spam calls per day that are sent to my voicemail. It's also not immediate. I can check my voicemail later when I have time, instead of having to pick up whenever I'm spammed. That's even before I might have a service/feature where it will try to transcribe the voicemail, which often makes it very easy to tell that it's spam.
      - mmhsieh 7y ago
        a tweak would be to the phone OS to ping alerts on new VMs immediately. perhaps VMs user-flagged as spam can be templates for autoblocking such VMs for other users.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - dredmorbius 7y ago
      But has far fewer false positives. Especially with a workflow.
    - mmhsieh 7y ago
paul7986 7y ago
I Get so annoyed when I forget to toggle back on "silence all unknown callers," especially when I'm driving/listening to music in the car and oh hey it's call yet not for me rather some scumbag is trying to steal ppl's money.
- mifreewil 7y ago
  Another shameless self-plug, this is why MyHumans is better because you can temporarily turn off the call blocking for a time period, like an hour, and it will automatically turn back on.
  - paul7986 7y ago
    Cool Apple needs to add that. Though I only turn it off when I'm expecting a call. If your app can figure out when I'm expecting a call and when that call is done then toggle silence all unknown callers on then I'm sold.
gnicholas 7y ago
I end up with voicemails from spammers all the time. They'll ring me and while the phone is ringing, they'll ring me again so they get sent straight to voicemail and can leave a message.
jpmattia 7y ago
> I created an iPhone app called MyHumans that takes the opposite approach with a whitelist using your phone contacts. iOS 13 now does this: https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/06/ios-13-silence-unknown-callers/ https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/06/ios-13-silence-unknown-... The only reason I know about this feature: My iPhone prompted me to turn it on yesterday. I turned it on, and it is working admirably so far (multiple spam calls blocked, and my dad got through as expected.)
- hnuser123456 7y ago
  Wow, finally. These calls are driving my grandma crazy, I showed her my Pixel has been able to block spam calls for at least a year but that iPhones somehow had no equivalent. She was trying to block one number at a time but obviously it wasn't effective.
- mifreewil 7y ago
  The major difference is you don't have an easy way to turn off the call blocking with the iOS 13 setting if you need to accept a call from an unknown caller (recruiter, scheduled call, whatever). On iOS 13, it's hidden in the settings app and there is no way to temporarily disable for a period of time so you don't forget to turn it back on.

davio 7y ago

Is that different from Silence Unknown Callers in IOS 13?

mifreewil 7y ago
I honestly would use that instead if there was a quick way to disable without digging through the settings app.
- davio 7y ago
  Maybe through shortcuts? I foiled myself and missed an important call the first time I used that setting. It was a call I expected, but not a contact.
  - CharlesW 7y ago
    > Maybe through shortcuts? Kinda! You can make an iOS shortcut to take you right to the Phone settings, at which point turning "Silence Unknown Callers" on/off is a one-tap operation. To do this, create a shortcut to open the URL "prefs:root=Phone". You can find more detail and a bunch more interesting options here: https://www.macstories.net/ios/a-comprehensive-guide-to-all-120-settings-urls-supported-by-ios-and-ipados-13-1/ https://www.macstories.net/ios/a-comprehensive-guide-to-all-...

TuringNYC 7y ago

Serious question - do you ever worry that perhaps you'll get a call from a hospital about a loved one, or from a school about a hurt child, etc?

mmhsieh 7y ago
they can leave a message, which shows up almost immediately
- ebg13 7y ago
  Checking voicemails actually takes longer and involves more steps than answering calls.
  - noirbot 7y ago
    Sure, but in my experience, most robo-calls don't actually leave messages. I maybe get a message every week or two, but I'll have multiple spam calls per day that are sent to my voicemail. It's also not immediate. I can check my voicemail later when I have time, instead of having to pick up whenever I'm spammed. That's even before I might have a service/feature where it will try to transcribe the voicemail, which often makes it very easy to tell that it's spam.
    - mmhsieh 7y ago
      a tweak would be to the phone OS to ping alerts on new VMs immediately. perhaps VMs user-flagged as spam can be templates for autoblocking such VMs for other users.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - dredmorbius 7y ago
    But has far fewer false positives. Especially with a workflow.
  - mmhsieh 7y ago

paul7986 7y ago

I Get so annoyed when I forget to toggle back on "silence all unknown callers," especially when I'm driving/listening to music in the car and oh hey it's call yet not for me rather some scumbag is trying to steal ppl's money.

mifreewil 7y ago
Another shameless self-plug, this is why MyHumans is better because you can temporarily turn off the call blocking for a time period, like an hour, and it will automatically turn back on.
- paul7986 7y ago
  Cool Apple needs to add that. Though I only turn it off when I'm expecting a call. If your app can figure out when I'm expecting a call and when that call is done then toggle silence all unknown callers on then I'm sold.

gnicholas 7y ago

I end up with voicemails from spammers all the time. They'll ring me and while the phone is ringing, they'll ring me again so they get sent straight to voicemail and can leave a message.

jpmattia 7y ago

> I created an iPhone app called MyHumans that takes the opposite approach with a whitelist using your phone contacts. iOS 13 now does this: https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/06/ios-13-silence-unknown-callers/ https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/06/ios-13-silence-unknown-... The only reason I know about this feature: My iPhone prompted me to turn it on yesterday. I turned it on, and it is working admirably so far (multiple spam calls blocked, and my dad got through as expected.)

hnuser123456 7y ago
Wow, finally. These calls are driving my grandma crazy, I showed her my Pixel has been able to block spam calls for at least a year but that iPhones somehow had no equivalent. She was trying to block one number at a time but obviously it wasn't effective.
mifreewil 7y ago
The major difference is you don't have an easy way to turn off the call blocking with the iOS 13 setting if you need to accept a call from an unknown caller (recruiter, scheduled call, whatever). On iOS 13, it's hidden in the settings app and there is no way to temporarily disable for a period of time so you don't forget to turn it back on.