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Help Caller-ID-based blocking or call forwarding?

All of these apps are completely pointless. When a telemarketer calls and is redirected to voicemail that only confirms the validity of the phone number. And because of that the phone number will be passed on to other telemarketer lists. Having a "call blocker" that uses this "forward to voicemail" scheme is not only useless, but totally counterproductive to the real intention behind call blocking.

Much telemarketing and collection activity is initiated through robo-calling. You can preface your voice mail with the three-tone "no such number" sound. It's available on the internet. Many robo-call bots recognize these tones and will automatically remove your number. Actual people will probably listen long enough to hear your voice, so it won't stop your contacts who legitimately reach your voice mail. Unfortunately, it also won't stop most telemarketers, collectors, etc. who are calling manually.
 
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Punkzanyj is very versed, and you are taking exception, I think, to what you think might be available in the future ....

The fact is right now it does not exist for our phones... no matter how much we wish it did ...

You could turn voice mail off so that the phone would just ring when the Carrier pushes the call out onto the network ... but that would be crazy to have to listen to ...

Your suggestion to block someones post is amazing ... that you want to block open discussion ... Maybe Indicating that your view might be the only correct one .... Many have blocked ideas that they didn't want hear ...

I am glad we don't live in that society...

Some of you might want to try FY Receptionist ... not a perfect solution but does have black/white list and like 5 modes ... .

This app has very bad reviews
 
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Dear LIBIDO,

Thank you so very much for your awesome answer. It was the perfect one for what I was looking for. My husband gave my cell number to some of his relatives and I wanted to have them get a recorded message that my number was no longer in service because I don't want to talk to them and I didn't want to change my number and I did not want them to leave a voicemail or hear a hangup like the other blocking apps do and youmail has exactly what I want. I searched for months and finally saw your response. A million thanks to you and may God Bless you! :)
 
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Actually, I wasn't thinking clearly, and I do realize that blocking, per se, is out of the question, unless it's done by the carrier.

But I'd still like to do conditional call forwarding, such that calls from certain incoming numbers get forwarded to a phone number of my choice, and calls from other incoming numbers don't.

This conditional forwarding is the feature that I think someone could write an Android app to implement. Based on these responses, I guess that such an app doesn't currently exist, and so now, I'm thinking that I should try to write it, myself.

PS: I'm now thinking that there might indeed be a form of "blocking" that could be implemented within an Android app: instead of ringing the phone or routing to voice mail, simply open the line and immediately hang up on the call if it's from a number that I want to "block". I'm going to investigate if there's a way to do this via an Android app.

Thanks for your reply.
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Dear Hippoman,

I am also looking exactly the same option/app which can forward only our few wanted calls to another number, so that i will forward only some specific numbers to any other number which is switched off.

I need an option/App who fulfill my 2 requirements

1. I will not receive calls of some numbers but can receive SMS.

2. When that person calls me who must get the announcement either "the no is switched off/the person is unavailable" so that he suppose that this no is off. (but in callblock Apps the blocked person gets the "user busy announcement").

Anyone knows the solution then please let me know?
 
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  • Did you ever write a call control app with conditional block and forward options?

I'm just wondering if there are any other conditional call-blocking or forwarding options available, perhaps via a third-party app. If not, this might be a good app for me to try to write.

Thanks again.
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[/QUOTE]
 
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  • Did you ever write a call control app with conditional block and forward options?

I'm just wondering if there are any other conditional call-blocking or forwarding options available, perhaps via a third-party app. If not, this might be a good app for me to try to write.

Thanks again.
.​
[/QUOTE]

I've been looking for one for months and still have not found a working one for conditional call forwarding. I'd love if you'd write this.
Kim
 
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I'm not sure this can do the more advanced tasks some of your are looking for, but my favorite new app is called Blacklist. I've set it to kill calls from anyone not in my contacts and send them to voicemail, and it works like a charm, at least so far after several days with it. I get a few nuisance calls a day, but now I no longer hear them and go fumbling for my phone.

Now when the phone rings, I know it's an actual person I know calling, not some robocall or whatever. Love it!
 
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Yeah Heycal, many of us with newer versions of Android have a built in "Blocking Mode" in our settings that does what you describe Blacklist as doing. What we're looking for is something more selective.

However, upon looking closer at it, it appears that Blacklist will ALSO do regular expression matching which MIGHT mean it's quite capable of doing what we want for those that can write reg ex.

Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.baole.app.blacklist&hl=en
 
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Blocking Mode on my Samsung GS3 does not seem to be SMS aware. I can selectively choose whether it affects notifications, alarms, timers and LED but there are no SMS settings and I seem to get SMS for some of my subscribed stuff that isn't in my address book just fine.

Without a doubt Blacklist is a more robust alternative compared to these more limited ones. Unfortunately though, Blacklist is very exclusion focused and still does not go in the direction we need an app to go, of focusing on selective call routing.
 
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Blocking Mode on my Samsung GS3 does not seem to be SMS aware. I can selectively choose whether it affects notifications, alarms, timers and LED but there are no SMS settings and I seem to get SMS for some of my subscribed stuff that isn't in my address book just fine.

Really? You could set it to suppress phone calls from everyone not on your allowed list, but still allow texts and other such notifcations to ring/vibrate?

If true, that makes blocking Mode significantly different and superior to iPhone's Do Not Disturb feature and I believe LG's Quiet Mode as well. That would be one of the factors that could tilt people like me towards one phone over another.
 
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Really? You could set it to suppress phone calls from everyone not on your allowed list, but still allow texts and other such notifcations to ring/vibrate?

If true, that makes blocking Mode significantly different and superior to iPhone's Do Not Disturb feature and I believe LG's Quiet Mode as well. That would be one of the factors that could tilt people like me towards one phone over another.

You are correct about blocking Mode on Samsung.

SMS come in regardless (as there's no way to route them to voice mail) but because you alter your notification settings (optional) and/or LED settings (optional) you choose whether you find out about SMS messages.

I do wish it could only notify me about SMS messages from my allowed list and silence the others but honestly I get very minimal spam SMS messages so it's not a big deal. The other features make it more than adequate in that regard.

I simply want to be able to selectively forward just one or two possible callers to my home line without forwarding everyone. What I want is a rather small improvement on a system that I've found already works quite well.
 
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SMS come in regardless (as there's no way to route them to voice mail) but because you alter your notification settings (optional) and/or LED settings (optional) you choose whether you find out about SMS messages.

I do wish it could only notify me about SMS messages from my allowed list and silence the others but honestly I get very minimal spam SMS messages so it's not a big deal. The other features make it more than adequate in that regard.

I never get spam texts, but many spam phone calls. Sounds like Blocking Mode can do what the Blacklist app does -- kill nuisances calls and let everything else through. Surprised neither LG or iPhone can come close to this.


Y
I simply want to be able to selectively forward just one or two possible callers to my home line without forwarding everyone. What I want is a rather small improvement on a system that I've found already works quite well.

I agree. I can think of several ways I'd like further control of calls, mesages, etc. I wish these companies would spend less energy improving their cameras or whatever, and more on enhancing customized communicaton options.
 
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I agree. I can think of several ways I'd like further control of calls, mesages, etc. I wish these companies would spend less energy improving their cameras or whatever, and more on enhancing customized communication options.

I agree - and I think that the camera/etc market is saturated - but that a phone that gave us more flexibility (isn't that why we chose Android?) would have a solid place in the market.

I'd settle for an app - and pay for one - but nothing exists that gives that level of control - which I still find really strange.
 
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