After repeated data breaches that no company really seems to give a s--- about my phone is blowing up with literally hundreds of spam calls and texts month. I get and make MAAAAYBE 2 or 3 important calls per month, 180-200 of the rest are literally all spam. Anyone have any suggestions, apps ect that they have found refuge with? I really don't use SMS that much either, mostly it's via signal, discord whats app, ect...
Just to put it out there I run CalyxOS on a Pixel 5a.
I just don't answer unless the number is in my contacts list. If it's important, they will leave a voicemail and I will call back. Spammers almost never leave a voicemail.
so, your mileage may vary but here's what I do:
- people I want to talk to are in my contacts list
- I ignore all other incoming calls
- voicemail is a filter. use it.
If they don’t leave a voicemail, then it’s either spam or not urgent.
Fuck the people (like my boss) who say “You’re so hard to get hold of”. Send a message or leave a voicemail, you caveman.
Pixel phone user, the built in spam blocker seems very reliable. When something goes through I use the call screening feature.
Note: this depends a lot on which governments you pay taxes to (country, state/province, city). With that in mind:
- Check if there's a "do not call" list where you live - i.e. a gov-enforced list of numbers that you are forbidden to call for advertisement. If there is one, put your number there.
- Do not answer spam calls at all. Usually it's easy to identify them, but there are some applications for this, like this (it's in F-Droid so likely available for CalyxOS). By simply not answering those calls, your number gets marked as "inactive" by the advertisers/spammers/telemarketers, so the frequency of the calls gets lower over time.
- Get a new phone number, redirect all legitimate contacts to your new number, and trash away the old one.
gov-enforced list of numbers that you are forbidden to call for advertisement. If there is one, put your number there.
As a scam caller from some country the US has no influence over, that would be a great resource!
I believe that it should still reduce the likelihood of spam calls - because you don't advertise where you aren't selling stuff, and if you're selling stuff you don't want to piss off the local government.
For reference: where I live the "do not call" list is from the state. Most of those spam calls come from people in other states controlled by the same republic, thus not subjected to the rules of my state - and yet the "do not call" list still does its job.
I kept my phone number from a different state so everyone that calls from that area code can be ignored. I also have AT&T's ActiveArmor app (free) and it blocks most of them. I used to get 2-4 a day but I'm down to 1ish a week now.
Answering vs not answering didn't really ever make a difference for me, but I've heard lots of things like don't answer and they'll think the line isn't real or answer but play the do Do DO sound effect or answer but leave it silent. Not sure if any will help.
