iPhone / iPad, seeking app to shunt calls not in contacts to junk folder

June 3, 2021 11:52 PM

I'm buried by garbage callers / texters. I'm seeking an app that will push calls / texts msgs into a junk folder. I know it can be done by dumping all calls and/or text msgs that are not in contacts, by using Do Not disturb, but I'd like to see -- on my schedule, when I want -- I'd want to see if it's valid, actually aimed at me.

Almost never is it a call / text from someone I want to hear from. But I don't want to miss those.

Do you know of an app that does this? Hopefully free but I'd pay a few bucks a month to make this hassle go way.

posted by dancestoblue to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Best answer: Can you clarify what you want that's not already provided by Apple? To me it sounds like the features you're aware of do what you say you're asking for, but you don't want it to work that way?

With the Apple feature the texts get filed under "Unknown Senders" and you can review them if/when you want. The missed calls will still be listed in your call history (and they can always leave a voicemail if they're a real person who really needs to reach you).
posted by tiamat at 5:37 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Have you tried the Silence Unknown Callers option? Settings - Phone - Silence Unknown Callers - On/Off. This will silence all calls except those in your contacts, returning calls you've made, or "siri suggestions" - which I'm not entirely sure what that means, but when I've flipped this on, it's never let anything through that I didn't want.
posted by Tomorrowful at 6:07 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: There are built-in settings that should take care of this for you:

• Settings --> Phone --> Silence Unknown Callers: Set that to ON
• Settings --> Messages --> Filter Unknown Settings: Set that to ON

posted by vitout at 6:08 AM on June 4, 2021 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks for your responses, tiamat, Tomorrowful, and vitout.

You have, in three fast responses, resolved my problem(s) with this -- I had settings wrong but they are set right now. And: no extra App called for.

Greatly appreciated.

I was an IBM mainframe programmer, and after that I was an Android guy for a long, long time. Taking me time to learn Apple OS -- it's a different animal.


Resolved.
posted by dancestoblue at 6:36 AM on June 4, 2021 [1 favorite]