Phenquestions
Over the past couple of days I have received numerous phone calls from a number that is used for marketing purposes only.
I have the habit of not answering the phone when I don't recognize a number or caller. Instead, I search for the number on the Internet to find out more about it before I make a decision.
More often than not, it is linked to marketing and the decision to block it is made quickly because of it.
While there are plenty of apps available for Android that promise to block annoying or unsolicited calls from reaching your phone, I have found the native option sufficient in most cases. Most call blacklisting apps require lots of permissions as well which you may not be comfortable giving.
Android 5, stock Android that is as manufacturers may have added custom call blocking functionality to their devices, does not support call blocking.
It does however support sending calls directly to voicemail. That works only however if you have added the phone number as a contact on your device or a contact to the People app.
The process itself is simple and should not take longer than a minute to complete. Please note that it is a tad easier if you have already received a call made from a number but that this is not a requirement as you can add numbers manually to the contacts database.
Step by step instructions to block phone numbers on Android 5
- If you have received a call by a number already, tap on the phone icon on the home screen and switch to the "recent" view when it opens.
- Tap on the icon in front of the number to display details. There you select the "add to contacts" icon near the top of the screen.
- Select create new contact on the "choose a contact" page that opens up, add a name and select "add new contact" afterwards.
- Open the contact afterwards using the contacts app or the phone log (by selecting the edit icon that is displayed now), tap on the menu icon near the top right corner and check the "all calls to voicemail" option there.
Calls made by the number are automatically redirected to voicemail so that you are not bothered by them anymore.
Tip: you can use a single contact for all numbers that you want to block. Simply add each new number to the same contact, e.g. a contact called blocked numbers.
You may still receive notifications about those calls though as they are not blocked entirely but only redirected to voicemail. Third-party applications like Calls Blacklist or Mr. Number offer more options and better controls and may be an option if you find the voicemail option insufficient.
