Caller ID for Iphone

[JOhnH]

There are several of them in the app store. Are any of them any good or any better than others? Of course I 'd prefer free, but I would pay a modest fee if it actually worked. I'm tired of seeing numbers I don't recognize, some of which are legitimate. But I get many spam/sales calls that I'd like to block if I knew who they were from.

Any suggestions?

 

[EdFred]

Good luck. Been through that with Verizon. Paid the extra $$ per month. It doesn't block ****. Best option, put your phone in do not disturb mode, and allow exceptions for your contact list.

 

[Bob Noel]

another vote for limiting phone calls to All Contacts (in Do Not Disturb) and Silence Unknown Callers (in Phone)

 

[flyingron]

Most of the direct to my cell spam calls are forged caller ID numbers anyhow. Something (could be AT&T's lookup function) occassionally flags them as suspect. Usually not. I just don't answer it if it's not in my contacts. The nubmer I am more inclined to give out is my redirector which has a PRESS 1 FOR RON, 2 FOR MARGY prompt. That usually filters out the robodialers.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Okay I was a little confused at first but I think I figured it out. You're not actually looking for caller ID (you should already have it) but a call blocker or router, based on the caller's ID, right?

 

[JOhnH]

Okay I was a little confused at first but I think I figured it out. You're not actually looking for caller ID (you should already have it) but a call blocker or router, based on the caller's ID, right?

I guess I was a little confusing. My phone does have caller id, but it mostly only IDs land lines or numbers in my contact list. If someone calls from a cell phone with a number I don't recognize, it just shows the number. If it is spam it may show a fake number. Almost all my incoming calls these days are from cell phones and caller ID is worthless.

Recently I have tried to call various businesses but due to COVID, many of them are working from home so I leave them a voicemail. Then they call me back from their cell phones so I don't answer because I don't know who it s. If they do leave a message, I try calling them back and we play phone tag. Other times I asked to be put on a waiting list. Today was from a repair company. Sometimes it is from a doctor that is booked till September but they promise to call me if they have a cancellation. But if I don't answer they call the next person on the list.

If someone from my call list calls me I usually know who it is by the number. I want to know who is calling me that isn't in my contact list.

 

[gkainz]

AT&T provides/bundles Call Protect from hiya that seems to do a reasonable job of blocking known spammer numbers. Has the ability to mark a number as BLOCK as well.

 

[Sac Arrow]

I guess I was a little confusing. My phone does have caller id, but it mostly only IDs land lines or numbers in my contact list. If someone calls from a cell phone with a number I don't recognize, it just shows the number. If it is spam it may show a fake number. Almost all my incoming calls these days are from cell phones and caller ID is worthless.

Recently I have tried to call various businesses but due to COVID, many of them are working from home so I leave them a voicemail. Then they call me back from their cell phones so I don't answer because I don't know who it s. If they do leave a message, I try calling them back and we play phone tag. Other times I asked to be put on a waiting list. Today was from a repair company. Sometimes it is from a doctor that is booked till September but they promise to call me if they have a cancellation. But if I don't answer they call the next person on the list.

If someone from my call list calls me I usually know who it is by the number. I want to know who is calling me that isn't in my contact list.

Gotcha, so you want real actual caller ID, e.g. "Jenny, Willits, CA," not just "(707) 867-5309"

 

[X3 Skier]

AT&T provides/bundles Call Protect from hiya that seems to do a reasonable job of blocking known spammer numbers. Has the ability to mark a number as BLOCK as well.

Works very well on my iPhone also

Cheers

 

[FlySince9]

My iPhone (AT&T) gives me a "suspected spam" or "suspected telemarketer" warning when the phone rings...

 

[flyingcheesehead]

My iPhone (AT&T) gives me a "suspected spam" or "suspected telemarketer" warning when the phone rings...

Yup... But that's an AT&T thing. It'll say "Spam Risk" or "Telemarketer".

They catch only about half or less, though, it seems. But that's still a lot these days!

 

[flyingron]

Yep, it catches so few of those that it always surprises me when it shows up.

 

[denverpilot]

The Caller ID system is inherently broken. Too long to explain why here, but I can call you from any number I choose. Any number.

It’s what the spammers do.

Simple explanation: For ... technical reasons... we need to be able to spoof numbers and my carrier doesn’t block it either. All we had to do was ask. On seedy carriers, you don’t even have to ask. Better carriers might notice you using an inappropriate number and give a tisk-tisk and a finger-wag while cashing your service payment check.

Almost zero point in attempting to filter calls using it.

 

[JOhnH]

The Caller ID system is inherently broken. Too long to explain why here, but I can call you from any number I choose. Any number.

It’s what the spammers do.

Simple explanation: For ... technical reasons... we need to be able to spoof numbers and my carrier doesn’t block it either. All we had to do was ask. On seedy carriers, you don’t even have to ask. Better carriers might notice you using an inappropriate number and give a tisk-tisk and a finger-wag while cashing your service payment check.

Almost zero point in attempting to filter calls using it.

Seems like when when I was looking at caller id apps on the app store, some of them could tell you if a caller was spoofing a number or not. That would be nice to know even if you don't know who it really is. Don't know if that is true or how it works though.

 

[EdFred]

Seems like when when I was looking at caller id apps on the app store, some of them could tell you if a caller was spoofing a number or not. That would be nice to know even if you don't know who it really is. Don't know if that is true or how it works though.

It will not tell you if the number is spoofed or not. A legit name will show up on my phone, but it's one of the IRS SSN compromised scams. I immediately ask which gift card they want payment in. Throws them off and they hang up.

 

[denverpilot]

Seems like when when I was looking at caller id apps on the app store, some of them could tell you if a caller was spoofing a number or not. That would be nice to know even if you don't know who it really is. Don't know if that is true or how it works though.

It’s all based on user reports. There’s no network feature that allows that sort of lookup.

Which means the bad actors will just spoof a well known number that can’t be reported and blocked, without mass problems with false positives.

And each app keeps its own user database so it’s the Wild West. The more popular the app, the more stuff it’ll block, but the false positive rate will skyrocket.

 

[Everskyward]

This morning I got a call that I almost didn't answer, but it was a legit call. The caller ID on my phone only showed the number, but when I plugged it into the app I have called 'Call Protect' it showed the correct place it was from. Why can Call Protect show this but not T-Mobile?

 

[EdFred]

This morning I got a call that I almost didn't answer, but it was a legit call. The caller ID on my phone only showed the number, but when I plugged it into the app I have called 'Call Protect' it showed the correct place it was from. Why can Call Protect show this but not T-Mobile?

That wasn't a spoofed number. I've gotten phone calls from myself. Said I was calling. Answered the phone, but it obviously wasn't me. It also wasn't Tammy Smith, or whoever else called from a legit number.

 

[danhagan]

Good luck. Been through that with Verizon. Paid the extra $$ per month. It doesn't block ****. Best option, put your phone in do not disturb mode, and allow exceptions for your contact list.

I'm with Verizon and they don't charge me for the recent Spam block they enabled ...doesn't stop everything, but I've had a dramatic decrease in the BS calls for call warranty, medical insurance, my SS card has been frozen scam type calls. Screen reads Potential SPAM when it rings one time and kicks them to voicemail (which they never leave)

 

[Everskyward]

That wasn't a spoofed number. I've gotten phone calls from myself. Said I was calling. Answered the phone, but it obviously wasn't me. It also wasn't Tammy Smith, or whoever else called from a legit number.

Yeah, I know it wasn't a spoofed number. My question was why an app could identify it correctly but T-Mobile can't.

 

[EdFred]

Yeah, I know it wasn't a spoofed number. My question was why an app could identify it correctly but T-Mobile can't.

You aren't paying the extra $X.XX a month for T-mobile to give you that feature. I payed the extra and it would say Tammy Smith, or Bills Repair, or whoever it was. I got rid of it because they said it would only show legit calls - it didn't. Spoofed calls came in under "legit" numbers - as well as legit calls from legit numbers, so I said forget it, I'll just look at the number.

 

[kayoh190]

I wish the providers would make it cost money for each call, text, or email. Not a lot - fractions of a penny each time. But it seems like if such a system were in place across the board, it'd eliminate most of the BS.

 

[EdFred]

I wish the providers would make it cost money for each call, text, or email. Not a lot - fractions of a penny each time. But it seems like if such a system were in place across the board, it'd eliminate most of the BS.

It does. They just pass it along in our monthly bill. Now if we had legislation where we could get a credit back for each spam/telemarketing call - THAT would cut down on things.

Write me in on the presidential ballot this year, and I'll sign an exec order that makes it so.

 

[denverpilot]

Yeah, I know it wasn't a spoofed number. My question was why an app could identify it correctly but T-Mobile can't.

Because T-Mobile is cheap ass and now suffering from paying off Legere. LOL.

LOL okay sorry. Probably not the real reason but that guy... what a scumbag.

 

[Salty]

I wish the providers would make it cost money for each call, text, or email. Not a lot - fractions of a penny each time. But it seems like if such a system were in place across the board, it'd eliminate most of the BS.

I like this idea. The caller should pay the callee a per minute charge. I would support this type of plan. Say what you need to and hang up.

 

[kayoh190]

It does. They just pass it along in our monthly bill. Now if we had legislation where we could get a credit back for each spam/telemarketing call - THAT would cut down on things.

I mean charge on the inbound - my carrier would charge a fraction of a penny to whatever carrier is trying to reach me to route that call to my phone. It'd be kind of like having a 900 number, except it'd be so cheap to be essentially free to the legitimate callers while prohibitively expensive to someone making bogus calls in the millions. You could revamp email to be the same way. Spamming benefits nobody, so it blows me away that providers can't come up with a solution that won't be neutral to their bottom line. I'm sure I'm missing something....

 

[Everskyward]

You aren't paying the extra $X.XX a month for T-mobile to give you that feature. I payed the extra and it would say Tammy Smith, or Bills Repair, or whoever it was. I got rid of it because they said it would only show legit calls - it didn't. Spoofed calls came in under "legit" numbers - as well as legit calls from legit numbers, so I said forget it, I'll just look at the number.

I did some research and I understand. It would be $4 extra per month to get caller ID. You are saying that if I got a spoofed call from Tammy Smith's phone number it would still read 'Tammy Smith' even though it really wasn't.

 

[EdFred]

I did some research and I understand. It would be $4 extra per month to get caller ID. You are saying that if I got a spoofed call from Tammy Smith's phone number it would still read 'Tammy Smith' even though it really wasn't.

Correct. At least that's what happened with me and Verizon when I signed up for Call Filter Plus.