Cell phone users receive many anonymous calls, telemarketing calls, calls from pranksters, and people they do not wish to speak with. Thankfully, there are a few ways to block such calls. The following article tells you how to block calls on your cell phone.
“Hello”, said Amy, while trying to calm down her crying 1 year-old son. “Good Afternoon, Ma’am”, said an unknown voice, “I am calling from ABC Telemarketing services. You maybe interested to know more on the international calling rates we are offering you while on roaming?”‘. “No, I am not. Thank you”, said a disturbed Amy trying to juggle the cell phone in one hand and her baby in the other. “Can I know the reason you are not opting for our great offer?”, asked the persistent telemarketing agent. “It’s ‘cuz I don’t travel abroad!”, replied Amy sarcastically. “Oh, would your husband be interested?”, inquired the telemarketing agent. By this time Amy’s son was screaming at the top of his voice and Amy was at her wit’s end. She was very annoyed and said to the telemarketing agent, “I have told you a hundred times that neither my husband nor am I interested in your plans. Please stop calling me for God’s sake!” She furiously disconnected the call.
Most of us have faced similar situations some time or the other. All cell phone users do. It’s either telemarketing agents trying to sell their products and services, or some kid who keeps calling you and plays pranks. In some cases, you just do not want to speak to someone who has found out your cell phone number and tries to be friendly, or maybe you do not want your ‘ex’ to call you.
At times, a ringing phone can disturb you when you are busy with some thing very important or in the middle of an important discussion. It becomes even more irritating when the person calling is someone you do not wish to speak to. The best way to avoid such irritating calls is by blocking such numbers. There are certain ways that will help you block numbers; just follow the instructions given below.
How to Block a Number on a Cell Phone?
Blocking your own cell phone number from being displayed on other cell phones is not a very difficult task. There are two ways to do this. The more permanent solution is requesting a line block from your carrier. You may have to pay a monthly fee to avail this facility. This will be useful in blocking your number on the caller ID of the people you call. You can dial *82 and then dial a number to display your phone number.
If you do not want to block numbers on all mobile phones, then you can opt for individual call basis. This is very useful when you need to call a person just to inquire about the services or products offered or speak to a person just once. You do not need to speak to your carrier for this. Just dial *67 followed by the number you wish to call. Your number will remain hidden and will not be displayed.
Blocking Unwanted Calls
One of the biggest problems with cell phones is receiving unwanted calls, anywhere and anytime. It is a big distraction when you are concentrating on work or studies. You can call the carrier and opt for their unwanted call blocking service. You can apply for local calling area or even out of area call blocking. Then, you will be able to attach an inbound call blocker to your phone that will help block all calls that come to your number. You can give out a code to people you wish to be able to call you. They just need to dial the code before entering your number. Their calls won’t be blocked and they will be able to reach you.
If you do not wish to opt for a total call block, then you can use a call screening facility. This service is also provided by your cell phone operator, who will give you more details regarding the procedure. Once you opt for this, any unknown number trying to reach you will be automatically rejected. The company will send you a message containing all the details of the various Anonymous Call Rejection (ACR) numbers that come your way. This is very useful to block all unknown calls that are private or out of area
Silence Please!
Another innovative way to block calls is silencing the calls you do not wish to receive. There are many cell phone gizmo’s that have a facility to assign individual ring tones to each number. You can assign a silent tone to the numbers you do not wish to receive calls from. This way the cell will keep ringing and you won’t be disturbed. You can assign audible ring tones to the numbers you wish to receive.
Some high-end cell phones have the facility to block unknown numbers or private numbers. Smartphones allow you to install third-party software that help in blocking unwanted calls. The features differ from phone to phone and carrier to carrier.
US residents can also block calls from telemarketing companies by registering themselves on the National Do Not Call Registry. The services are activated after around 31 days of registering your number. But you will still receive calls from political organizations, companies having existing business relationship with you, companies you agreed in writing to receive calls from, telephone surveyors who do not sell anything and charity organizations.
Cell phones are a boon to humanity, but they are not free from the many banes that come along with them. You should be careful while giving out your cell phone number. If you are facing any harassment from any caller, you can contact the cops regarding the matter. There are many states that have laws defining the statures that come under phone harassment or cyber stalking. If you feel uneasy regarding any calls, act now and opt for a service that helps blocking such numbers.