How to Block Other People's Phone Numbers With a Cell Phone

There are easy ways to block unwanted phone numbers from ringing through on a cell phone.

Cell phones free us up to go almost anywhere and still be in touch with others, but it can be frustrating to deal with incoming unwanted calls from salespeople, telemarketers and others. Fortunately, it's fairly easy to block unwanted incoming calls on a cell phone, either through its built-in features, the cell phone provider or purchased services or software.

Instructions

1. Set up blocking on your cell phone. Depending on your cell phone model, you might be able to block selected or all incoming phone numbers, as well as block specified or all numbers from your contact list. To check your built-in cell phone blocking features, look under "Settings" on your phone. The call-blocking service might be named "Manage Calls" or "Restrict," and menu options might list blocking features under "Accept Calls" or a similar name. If you're not sure where to find a call-blocking feature on your cell phone, check your cell phone documentation or press 611 to contact a customer service representative.

2. Request call blocking from your cell phone provider. Most cell phone providers will block all incoming calls to your cell phone at no charge. This can be handy, for example, if you want to stop the distraction of incoming calls so you can focus on a project. If you're wishing to block specified numbers, ask your cell phone provider if it provides that service. Either press 611 to reach a customer service representative or look for the customer service number on your cell phone monthly statements.

3. Purchase a blocking service. One such service is TrapCall, which works on all cell phones and offers such services as selected number blocking, call recording, transcribing voice messages to email and more. It offers a free 30-day trial, after which you pay a monthly charge, depending on the service selected.

4. Download blocking software. For example, ColdCallBlocker and Call Block 1.01 are mobile software products that let you block selected phone numbers from ringing through to your cell phone. Currently, ColdCallBlocker is available for Windows Mobile and BlackBerry phones, and Call Block 1.01 is available for PDA Smartphones. There is a fee to download both services.

Tips & Warnings

• Register your cell phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry. This free service lets you stop telemarketers from calling your cell phone number. Register your cell phone number at Donotcall.gov.

• If you wish to know when an unwanted phone number is calling you, put that number into your cell phone contact list and assign a specific ring to it. Whenever you hear that ringtone, you'll know not to answer that call.

References

• YouTube: Cell Phone Facts-How to Block Incoming Phone Calls
• TrapCall
• ColdCallBlocker
• MobileTopSoft: Block Unsolicited Incoming Calls with Call Block 1.01
• Guns, Gams, and Gumshoes: Blocking Phone Numbers on Your Cell Phone

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish