You Can Silence Unknown Calls
Do you get a slew of calls from numbers you don’t recognize? Not only are unrecognized numbers spamming our phones, they can lead to scammers getting in touch with us. It’s frustrating. It can feel intimidating. Mostly, though, it’s an increasing nuisance.
So what can you do? There are several options out there for silencing unknown calls.
Are you an iPhone user? There’s a toggle in your settings that allows you to silence any number not already stored in your contacts. You can go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers and switch that to “on.”
Android user? Well, because there are a few different platforms, you’ll have to do an internet search for your exact OS. There’s always an instructional post out there for anything you can imagine.
The downside of this is you may miss calls from a delivery person, doctor’s office, or service you’re waiting to hear back from. Recently I ran into this problem so I simply toggled the option to “off” while I was waiting for my call. It’s not a perfect solution, but there never is a “perfect” solution to robocalls, is there?
3rd Party Options
There are some 3rd party options for unwanted calls. Various apps can help keep those annoying calls at bay. As with everything, there are both free and paid options.
Again, the software on 3rd party apps may be imperfect, but they do help greatly reduce the number of calls you’re getting daily. I can receive upwards of 8 spam calls a day, so a service that may only let 1 through is a definite improvement. They’re worth a look.
Remember when it comes to free apps, if they aren’t charging a fee, then your information may be for sale. Part of why we’re in this mess is the sale of our information. It’s counterintuitive to use a service that adds to the problem. Do your research. If you’re in the market for a 3rd party app, you get what you pay for.
Do Not Disturb
A nifty feature most phones have is the Do Not Disturb (DND) feature. You may be familiar with this when your bluetooth syncs to your car and sends a message to whoever texts you that you’re driving. But the DND settings can be customized for the day as well.
I have family and friends across the world and in many different time zones, so my phone is never off. This can be a problem when spammers decide to call before 7am (especially on the weekend.) Even my silenced phone makes a noise when a call has it vibrating against the nightstand. The solution? Do Not Disturb settings.
An internet search for your personal operating system will quickly tell you how to modify these. Again, it’s not a perfect solution, but it’s another weapon in your arsenal against spam calls.
Working Together
With the filters put in place by our carriers (check yours here) and the extra measures listed above, we can significantly reduce spam calls. The system may not be perfect, but it’s a step forward.
What are you doing to reduce spam calls? Let us know on our socials or in the comments. And stay safe out there.
Photo by Gabriel Gonzalez on Unsplash
