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Google Fi has a setting where you can have all unknown incoming calls screened by default. I wonder if that can be mandated across all telecoms.

dheera 5y ago
I just block all calls that aren't pre-scheduled on my Google calendar and use Twilio to filter them. Whitelist for SO/parents only. It's not even about screening, I want anyone calling to make an appointment and not just interrupt whatever I'm doing.
- eloff 5y ago
  Take my money. No seriously, make it a product I can pay for.
  - zbrozek 5y ago
    I just leave my phone on mute and never answer it.
pjerem 5y ago
Any phone have this option. At least my iPhone have it. I’m pretty sure Android have it too. If it’s not from a known contact, it’s probably not urgent and they can leave a message.
- Ansil849 5y ago
  > If it’s not from a known contact, it’s probably not urgent and they can leave a message. Debt collectors, doctors' receptionists, local police departments...all of these can be relatively urgent calls and will likely not be known contacts.
  - pjerem 5y ago
    Well, I don’t see how is this a different situation than just putting your phone in silent mode or leaving it somewhere in your house (while it’s charging). This feature is not blocking calls, it just disable ringing / vibrating. You get the notification of a missed call. Nobody can expect you to be available at any time, even police officers. If they really need to speak to you now, they’ll come at you.
  - curryst 5y ago
    I typically let them leave a voicemail and then call them back immediately if I need to. A big difference between spam callers and normal callers is that normal callers are extremely easy for you to contact back. Spammers want to call you, but don't want you to know who they are. It's actually a good security practice to not give out any personal information to people who call you. It's easy to spoof your doctor's office's phone number and start the conversation with "please validate the last 4 of your social so we know it's you". The only way for me to validate that it's actually my doctor's office is for them to give me some info about me that isn't public knowledge, which they won't do until I've already given them private info. Even if I did pick up when they answer, all I'd say is "Hey, I'm not comfortable giving out information to people who call me. I'm going to go look up your number and call you back, so I know you are who you say you are." The only time I ever have an issue with calling back is when my doctor needs to talk to me directly, but I recognize my doctor's voice. Someone could spoof my doctor's voice, but I heavily doubt that anyone would go through that much trouble to get my SSN or anything. I'm just not that interesting of a target.
- WillPostForFood 5y ago
  iPhone doesn't have this feature, I wish it did! https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/9118387?hl=en https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/9118387?hl=en
  - pjerem 5y ago
    Good news for you : https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207099 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207099 « Turn on Silence Unknown Callers »
    - dyslexit 5y ago
      You're talking about a different feature. Google can screen an unknown call with an automated message asking them to leave their name and why they're calling before giving the user the option to pick up.
tambeb 5y ago
>Google Fi has a setting where you can have all unknown incoming calls screened by default. It does? I've only ever seen the option to block calls identified as spam. I've found the Google phone app's call screen to be nearly 100% effective at screening out spam calls. The ones that make it through and ring are those that don't engage with the assistant's questions at all, which is dumb. If I could reject callers that don't say anything to the screening questions I'd be golden.

dheera 5y ago

I just block all calls that aren't pre-scheduled on my Google calendar and use Twilio to filter them. Whitelist for SO/parents only. It's not even about screening, I want anyone calling to make an appointment and not just interrupt whatever I'm doing.

eloff 5y ago
Take my money. No seriously, make it a product I can pay for.
- zbrozek 5y ago
  I just leave my phone on mute and never answer it.

pjerem 5y ago

Any phone have this option. At least my iPhone have it. I’m pretty sure Android have it too. If it’s not from a known contact, it’s probably not urgent and they can leave a message.

Ansil849 5y ago
> If it’s not from a known contact, it’s probably not urgent and they can leave a message. Debt collectors, doctors' receptionists, local police departments...all of these can be relatively urgent calls and will likely not be known contacts.
- pjerem 5y ago
  Well, I don’t see how is this a different situation than just putting your phone in silent mode or leaving it somewhere in your house (while it’s charging). This feature is not blocking calls, it just disable ringing / vibrating. You get the notification of a missed call. Nobody can expect you to be available at any time, even police officers. If they really need to speak to you now, they’ll come at you.
- curryst 5y ago
  I typically let them leave a voicemail and then call them back immediately if I need to. A big difference between spam callers and normal callers is that normal callers are extremely easy for you to contact back. Spammers want to call you, but don't want you to know who they are. It's actually a good security practice to not give out any personal information to people who call you. It's easy to spoof your doctor's office's phone number and start the conversation with "please validate the last 4 of your social so we know it's you". The only way for me to validate that it's actually my doctor's office is for them to give me some info about me that isn't public knowledge, which they won't do until I've already given them private info. Even if I did pick up when they answer, all I'd say is "Hey, I'm not comfortable giving out information to people who call me. I'm going to go look up your number and call you back, so I know you are who you say you are." The only time I ever have an issue with calling back is when my doctor needs to talk to me directly, but I recognize my doctor's voice. Someone could spoof my doctor's voice, but I heavily doubt that anyone would go through that much trouble to get my SSN or anything. I'm just not that interesting of a target.
WillPostForFood 5y ago
iPhone doesn't have this feature, I wish it did! https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/9118387?hl=en https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/9118387?hl=en
- pjerem 5y ago
  Good news for you : https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207099 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207099 « Turn on Silence Unknown Callers »
  - dyslexit 5y ago
    You're talking about a different feature. Google can screen an unknown call with an automated message asking them to leave their name and why they're calling before giving the user the option to pick up.

tambeb 5y ago

>Google Fi has a setting where you can have all unknown incoming calls screened by default. It does? I've only ever seen the option to block calls identified as spam. I've found the Google phone app's call screen to be nearly 100% effective at screening out spam calls. The ones that make it through and ring are those that don't engage with the assistant's questions at all, which is dumb. If I could reject callers that don't say anything to the screening questions I'd be golden.