A list of numbers and patterns to refuse, with allow entries that always win.
Some callers you would rather not hear from.
What you can block
- One number.
- A range, such as everything starting with certain digits.
- Everyone who hides their number.
What happens to them
| Choice | What the caller gets |
|---|---|
| Busy | A busy tone |
| Refuse | The call is turned down outright |
| Recording | A message you chose, then the call ends |
| Send elsewhere | A mailbox, a menu, or anywhere else a call can go |
Busy is the quiet one: to a robocaller's machine, it looks like an ordinary busy line.
Allow entries win
An allow entry always beats a block. Block a whole range that keeps sending junk, then allow the one real customer who happens to be in it.
When several block rules match, the most specific decides: an exact number first, then the hidden-number rule, then the longest matching range.
Scope and expiry
A rule can apply to one of your numbers only, such as the main line but not the direct lines. It can also have a last day, after which it stops by itself. Good for the caller who is a nuisance this month and a customer again next month.
What it costs a blocked caller
Nothing of yours. The check happens before the call takes a line, so a refused caller never counts against your call limits. Each rule keeps a count of how many calls it has stopped.
A caution
Caller ID can be faked, and determined scammers do. This is a tool for nuisance calls, not a security barrier. Every blocked call is in the call log, marked as blocked, so you can see what was turned away.