How to Block a Cell Phone Number
You may be receiving unwanted calls on your phone from certain specific cell phone numbers and are wondering if there is any way to block that number from calling you. Indeed, there are certain ways in which you can block calls originating from a cell phone number, however they are not fool-proof. Remember, that while you may be able to bar one or multiple phone numbers from calling you, all that is needed to bypass those blocks is to instead call you from another phone. This can be done by using another cell phone, land line phone, payphone or by using an internet phone service such as Skype.
Therefore,
the best way to prevent receiving unwanted phone calls is to avoid making your
number known to people who you might not want to talk to. Avoid giving your
phone number to people who you do not know very well. This is important if you
participate in online social networking or dating sites. Many people who have
given out their phone number online have experienced receiving harassing,
obscene or annoying calls. You may also want to get an unlisted number, which is
not listed in the White Pages or in online phone directories, by contacting your
phone company. As well, be wary of providing your phone number to enter
contests, drawings, or promotions, both online and off. Information of people
participating, such as their names, addresses and phone numbers, is often put
into a database. These databases are then sold to telemarketers who use them for
solicitation purposes.
If you do however find yourself receiving unwanted phone calls, there are two ways to block a specific cell phone number for calling your line:
1) By using a call-blocking service from your phone company.
2) By using a feature on your phone itself.
Phone company call blocking features.
Many, but not all, phone companies provide a service in which you can block certain numbers. This service is available on land lines, however a few cell phone providers also offer it. Most often called "Call Privacy" or "Call Screening", this feature allows you to set up a list of numbers that you do not want to receive calls from. Depending on your phone company, the caller will hear a message that you are not accepting calls at this time or you may have the option of forwarding the calls straight to your voice mail. One advantage of such a feature is that it may also allow you to block calls coming from private or unknown numbers. Depending on your plan, a call screening feature may be already included in your regular monthly package, or you may have to pay a fee every month to use this service.
Blocking calls on your phone itself.
This method is useful for cell phone users, as many cell phone providers have not implemented methods that allow them to block calls on their end. There are several ways that you can use to prevent receiving unwanted calls on your mobile phone. Certain phones, such as newer Samsung models have a feature in their software that allows you to set up a list of numbers on your device, from which you do not want to receive calls. Upon receiving an incoming call from a number on the list, the cell phone will act as if you have pressed the "ignore" button, which will then either give the caller a message that you are unavailable or direct the call to your voice mail. The best way to verify if the particular model of cell phone that you own has this feature is by browsing in the menus or by checking in your user guide.
Even if your phone does not have this feature built in, certain phones, such as "Smartphones" running on the Windows Mobile operating system allow you to download third-party applications that can help you manage your calls. There are some applications available which run in the background and if they detect an incoming call from specific numbers that you want blocked, will act as if you had pressed the ignore button, or can even pick up for a second then immediately disconnect the call. Doing a quick Google search can reveal if there are any such applications which are compatible with your phone that you can install on your device.
If your phone does not support a feature that can block a number from calling you, there are still some other workarounds available. Instead of blocking numbers, some phones have a feature in which you can set it to allow calls only from numbers that are in your phone's contact list. In that case, all calls from numbers that are not already stored in your phone will be ignored. This can be handy if you only receive calls from friends whose numbers you have saved, however it can cause also cause you to miss an important call if someone you know calls you from another phone number that you do not have saved in your contacts.
There is still one final and more ingenious way to avoid calls from a number. Most of today's cell phones allow you to set a specific ring tone to certain callers which are in your phone's contact list. All you would have to do is save the phone number that you don't want calling you in your contacts. Then assign that particular contact a silent ring. If you receive a call from that number, the call will show up on the screen and the phone's light may flash to indicate an incoming call, however you will not hear a ring.