Are telemarketers not leaving your side? Or is there anyone bugging you by calling 24/7? Yes, it can be very annoying to take out your phone just to see a telemarketer offering unneeded services, but you always have the option to block calls.
You can block calls on any Android phone using different methods, however, the method might be limited by the devices. Google hasn’t incorporated Call blocking feature in Android, but some manufacturers add this feature to their Android phones. Although, the process to access the feature will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Even if your phone doesn’t support the call blocking feature, you can still block calls via other means. In this tutorial, we will show you different methods to block calls, so it will be easier for you to select the right one according to your requirement. For non-Android phone, we have a broader number blocking article.
Use Call Barring
Call barring is not actually a standard call blocking feature, it will block all the calls of a selected type. However, it can be handy in certain situations when you don’t want calls from certain types of numbers, For example, you can block all calls from international numbers.
To access call barring option, tap on Settings and from there tap on Call.
You will either find the “Call barring” option there or you will have to go further inside. If you don’t find Call barring option, then tap on “Additional settings” and you will find Call barring option in there.
Tap on “Call barring” and select which calls you would like to block, Voice calls or Video calls. Once selected, you will see all the options, which you can use to block both incoming and outgoing calls of a selected type. Just select any option and you will be prompted to provide a Call barring Pin Code.
By default, the pin code is 0000 or 1234, but if it doesn’t work, you can also try 1111. If nothing works, then you will have to contact the manufacturer of your phone to provide the Pincode.
Block Calls from Phone’s built-in features
Like mentioned above, call blocking feature is not built-in Stock Android, only manufacturers add it in their specific phones (mostly flagship phones). So, in most android phones this feature will not be available, but you can always check your Phone’s “Phone app” to see if the feature is available or not.
On Galaxy S4, you can open “Phone app” and tap on the menu. In the Menu, tap on “Call Settings” to access all call settings. In “Call Settings”, tap on “Call rejection”.
On the next page, tap on “Auto reject list” and add numbers which you would like to block.
To add numbers directly to “Auto reject list”, open the contact number and tap on the Menu button. From the menu, tap on “Add to reject list” to block the number.
Use a Dedicated App
If your Android phone doesn’t come with Call blocking feature, you can always get it using Third-party apps (may be even better than built-in feature). There are tons of apps on Google Play Store that will let you block calls and even text messages. Most of them are completely free to use and provide all necessary features to block calls easily.
In this tutorial, we are going to use the app Call Blocker Free, but you can also try out other popular apps such as, Mr. number, Call Blocking Blacklist and eFirewall. The reason why we have selected Call Blocker Free is because of its simplicity, making it perfect for beginners.
Using Call Blocker Free
Just download the app and launch it. To add numbers to block, tap on “Upward flash light” icon (it’s the third one).
In there, you will see the option of “Blacklist”, tap on it and from the next page, tap on “+” icon. Now, you can just choose the option which you would like to use to add numbers, and add the numbers to block.
There is also an option of “Blocking mode”, which you can use to specify what types of calls should be blocked.
There is also a “Whitelist”, which you can use to specify numbers that will be allowed. This is handy if you would like to block all numbers except for a few which will be in the “Whitelist”.
To change how the calls will be blocked, tap on menu located at the top right corner of the screen (it’s the three vertical dots). In the menu, tap on Settings and from there, tap on “How to block calls”. You will see three different options inside, you can make the app hang up the call, mute it or hang up and send a text.
Contact Your Carrier
If you don’t want to use phone related methods, then you can also contact your carrier directly to block numbers for you. Carriers can easily block numbers to your phone, however, getting the service may come with a catch.
Mostly, the service is free, but it comes with limitations, such as a limit on numbers blocked. Some carrier may also charge a fee on a monthly basis, but you will be able to have more control over blocking numbers.
All you have to do is call the customer support of your carrier and they will either add the numbers for you or if they provide a paid service, they will tell you how you can subscribe and add numbers.
Filed in . Read more about Android.