Fifth Avenue Forum

Two months ago, I finally decided to install a spam call blocker to deal with a sharply increasing incidence of annoying calls.

I went with "Should I Answer" app (both the "obsolete" and "current" versions) because it had many downloads and a very high rating (4.8/5) - but that sucker absolutely does not work for me, even after putting it in the most restrictive mode. In those two months, it blocked just ONE phone call!! I would somehow understand if it cannot detect spam calls with the local area numbers, but "Should I Answer" lets everything pass through, regardless of the calling area.

So, does anybody have positive experience with any other app - Hiya, TrueCaller,...?

Thanks!!

I signed up for the national DO NOT CALL list several years ago, and that seriously all but eliminated spam calls.

I still occasionally get one or two a week, but they're always from the same small handful of numbers. I should probably just blacklist those numbers, but I don't because of [reasons].

I have this with my Google pixel and it's fantastic

When you tap the “screen call” button, Google Assistant will alert the caller that you are “using a screening service from Google” and that you will get a copy of this conversation. It will ask them to state their name and reason for calling, which will then be relayed to you in real time.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/9/1795 ... een-filter

Land line I use the one for comcast and it works great.

Cell is tough. If it is a number not in my contacts I don’t pick up.

I just got a new number for my work cell. Was really tired of dealing with the old number as I would get calls from pharmacies in Cincy about the prior owner of the phone number. Got my 412 number. I've had it for one day and have received 4-6 spam calls already.

How does that happen? It's a genuine question. I've had the same number for 12 years, and I get about 3 calls a month that I assume are spam.

I say assume because I don't answer a number not in my contacts, and they never leave a voicemail.

I suspect they just load every number in an exchange into the robo caller and call em all.

Most of my spam calls show as from my area code and exchange. The only person I know who has the same got hired a week after me and got his phone the same time I did- so unless it’s him I don’t pick up. Assume their assumption is that you are likely to pick a call up from your own exchange and since they can show any number they like on your caller ID that’s what they do.

I suspect they just load every number in an exchange into the robo caller and call em all.

Most of my spam calls show as from my area code and exchange. The only person I know who has the same got hired a week after me and got his phone the same time I did- so unless it’s him I don’t pick up. Assume their assumption is that you are likely to pick a call up from your own exchange and since they can show any number they like on your caller ID that’s what they do.

Yup. All my spam calls have an Altoona prefix. And they are virtually all for medical grade braces.

I have this with my Google pixel and it's fantastic

When you tap the “screen call” button, Google Assistant will alert the caller that you are “using a screening service from Google” and that you will get a copy of this conversation. It will ask them to state their name and reason for calling, which will then be relayed to you in real time.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/9/1795 ... een-filter

Me too. It's great.

That's interesting. I get that 'screen call' option on my Pixel2, but I haven't tried it yet.

I have the original Pixel and don't remember seeing that option. Is that something I have to turn on?

I think it was pushed out to older Pixel phones recently - make sure your Phone app is up to date. It came standard with the Pixel 3.

I don't think the OG Pixels have it yet (and maybe never will), but I could be wrong.

I get that option on my pixel 1. I think it came with the last update.

A quick update for people not cool enough to own the mighty Pixel: "Hiya" seems to work significantly better than "Should I Answer." Pretty much all out-of-area spam calls are intercepted now.

The only issue seems to be that Hiya kills the call (and sends it to voicemail) only after the first ring sound is heard. I guess I should be able to solve this by installing some custom ringtone that stays silent the first few seconds...