Blocking calls from private numbers on iPhone (Provider - EE)

July 2, 2017 1:14 PM

My girlfriend receives fairly regular anonymous calls - if answered, the caller breathes heavily and sometimes says her name. She's trying to block these, but somehow it seems that it's impossible to block all calls from withheld numbers on iPhone (Apple advised her to contact her phone provider), and when she did contact EE, she was told that her only option were to change provider or change number.

She's aware that she can block all calls from non-contacts, but doesn't understandably want to do this - only withheld-number ones. Is there anything she can do? We are in the UK.

posted by piato to Technology (3 answers total)

EE has a guide here which suggests they can identify the source of the calls and report to police on your behalf, so perhaps go that route? It certainly seems like illegal harassment.
posted by JonB at 1:22 PM on July 2, 2017

Can she use an app? I have an android phone and used an app called Extreme Call Blocker (~$5). You can block all calls/texts that are masked or show up as "Unknown". The calls may ring once, then the app automatically hangs up on the caller. I'm sure there's apps for iPhones that do this as well.
posted by extramundane at 1:47 PM on July 2, 2017

I've used an app called TrapCall to successfully unmask and block calls that were coming from a blocked number. I want to say it was around $5 a month.
posted by forkisbetter at 2:26 PM on July 2, 2017