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Block a phone number. What does the caller see and hear?

P

petalino

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 21, 2010
224
25
IOS 7 has a new feature which allows to completely block a number from calling and texting me.

I am curious if they get a message which says that they have been blocked, or it just keeps on ringing when they call and no one answers?

What happens if they send a text message? Do they get a reply saying: "you have been blocked" or just nothing and silence?

How do they know that their calls, voicemails and SMS's are not being seen by the receiver?

I am currently pissed off at someone and would prefer them to know that their messages are unwanted instead of them sending me messages thinking that I am reading them.
 
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petalino said:
IOS 7 has a new feature which allows to completely block a number from calling and texting me.

I am curious if they get a message which says that they have been blocked, or it just keeps on ringing when they call and no one answers?

What happens if they send a text message? Do they get a reply saying: "you have been blocked" or just nothing and silence?

How do they know that their calls, voicemails and SMS's are not being seen by the receiver?

I am currently pissed off at someone and would prefer them to know that their messages are unwanted instead of them sending me messages thinking that I am reading them.
Click to expand...

I blocked my house phone number to test this..

One beep and then straight to voicemail.

Also blocked my mom's iPhone and tried iMessage and it says "Delivered" even though I didn't get anything.
 
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So the caller has no idea that they have been blocked?




nikicampos said:
I blocked my house phone number to test this..

One beep and then straight to voicemail.

Also blocked my mom's iPhone and tried iMessage and it says "Delivered" even though I didn't get anything.
Click to expand...
 
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3bs said:
For calls it took me straight to voicemail. For texts it went though on my end but my friend didn't get it.
Click to expand...

Do the voicemails go through? I guess that might be carrier dependent though...
 
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JohnLT13 said:
Lousy? It does what its meant to do. If your pissed at someone text them and tell them you have blocked them.
Or would you like Apple to do your dirty work.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I agree with OP. Lousy feature. If I block someone, I want them to know they are blocked. I don't need them assuming their texts have been delivered. That WILL DEFINITELY lead to problems. Here's a crude and quick example.

Boyfriend and girlfriend break up. Boyfriend blocks girlfriend. Girlfriend text boyfriend a week later to tell him she is pregnant. Boyfriend doesn't get message. Girlfriend has a delivery receipt saying he did get message. Boyfriend doesn't know he is a father. Girlfriend assumes boyfriend is a deadbeat.
 
wepiii said:
I agree with OP. Lousy feature. If I block someone, I want them to know they are blocked. I don't need them assuming their texts have been delivered. That WILL DEFINITELY lead to problems. Here's a crude and quick example.

Boyfriend and girlfriend break up. Boyfriend blocks girlfriend. Girlfriend text boyfriend a week later to tell him she is pregnant. Boyfriend doesn't get message. Girlfriend has a delivery receipt saying he did get message. Boyfriend doesn't know he is a father. Girlfriend assumes boyfriend is a deadbeat.
Click to expand...

Exactly. If I'm not getting texts, calls or voicemails then I want the other party to know this 100%
Otherwise I may as well just ignore them (but not use the block feature)
 
If you need them to know they're blocked send them a text and or email *then* block them. You could even word it like its some kind of automatic notification, like the sort you want iOS to be sending

Concerned about potentially pregnant former girlfriends? Why not wait till 9 months after you break up before blocking them..
 
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So, it seems that the blocking feature just does not allow them to call you... or you can just ignore the incoming call if you never use this feature.

She will never find out that her text message to you: "honey, you are now a father" has been blocked and you have never received it.

This blocking feature should have a few more sliders allowing for different options, such as "let it ring" or "tell the caller that he/she has been blocked", etc.
 
I hope that doesn't happen to me.. :eek:
I wish I could block people that aren't on my contacts. I keep getting some number who keeps calling me.. I'll have to add it to my list to block.
 
RotaryP7 said:
I hope that doesn't happen to me.. :eek:
I wish I could block people that aren't on my contacts. I keep getting some number who keeps calling me.. I'll have to add it to my list to block.
Click to expand...

If you go to the number in the recent calls list, you can block it from there.
 
petalino said:
So, it seems that the blocking feature just does not allow them to call you... or you can just ignore the incoming call if you never use this feature.

She will never find out that her text message to you: "honey, you are now a father" has been blocked and you have never received it.

This blocking feature should have a few more sliders allowing for different options, such as "let it ring" or "tell the caller that he/she has been blocked", etc.
Click to expand...
Let it ring is not blocking it at all, so don't block it then. If you block it then it's blocked and the calls shouldn't be bothering you--that's the whole point. If you want to notify the person they are blocked, then text/email/call them and tell them they are blocked. That's really all there's to it.
 
wepiii said:
I agree with OP. Lousy feature. If I block someone, I want them to know they are blocked. I don't need them assuming their texts have been delivered. That WILL DEFINITELY lead to problems. Here's a crude and quick example.

Boyfriend and girlfriend break up. Boyfriend blocks girlfriend. Girlfriend text boyfriend a week later to tell him she is pregnant. Boyfriend doesn't get message. Girlfriend has a delivery receipt saying he did get message. Boyfriend doesn't know he is a father. Girlfriend assumes boyfriend is a deadbeat.
Click to expand...

Seems like boyfriend needs to keep track of his little guys a bit better...
 
wepiii said:
I agree with OP. Lousy feature. If I block someone, I want them to know they are blocked. I don't need them assuming their texts have been delivered. That WILL DEFINITELY lead to problems. Here's a crude and quick example.

Boyfriend and girlfriend break up. Boyfriend blocks girlfriend. Girlfriend text boyfriend a week later to tell him she is pregnant. Boyfriend doesn't get message. Girlfriend has a delivery receipt saying he did get message. Boyfriend doesn't know he is a father. Girlfriend assumes boyfriend is a deadbeat.
Click to expand...

I forgot texting was the only form of communication left these days. No worries Im sure when your served papers for child support it will not come via text message.
 
JohnLT13 said:
I forgot texting was the only form of communication left these days. No worries Im sure when your served papers for child support it will not come via text message.
Click to expand...

I welcome blocking. I regularly get calls for a really nice local restaurant to make a reservation (one digit change in phone number), particularly from winter visitors. Being able to block their calls - especially when they call three or four times in a row - is a nice feature. I already had a contact named "rejected" with a silent ringtone, and I just add those restaurant callers to the rejected contact, and now they will be blocked.
 
wepiii said:
I agree with OP. Lousy feature. If I block someone, I want them to know they are blocked. I don't need them assuming their texts have been delivered. That WILL DEFINITELY lead to problems. Here's a crude and quick example.

Boyfriend and girlfriend break up. Boyfriend blocks girlfriend. Girlfriend text boyfriend a week later to tell him she is pregnant. Boyfriend doesn't get message. Girlfriend has a delivery receipt saying he did get message. Boyfriend doesn't know he is a father. Girlfriend assumes boyfriend is a deadbeat.
Click to expand...

This is why you should use call blocking for nuisances like telemarketers and prank callers, not for people who you don't want to speak with.

Also it behaves like this to prevent denial of service attacks. If the phone were to let the call ring for instance, it'd tie up its ability to accept calls while it did so. This would allow the caller, at no cost to himself because ringing isn't billed, to tie up your phone basically indefinitely by just repeatedly calling it. The same for a spoken message of sorts, in many cases. The best way technically to handle it is to hang up immediately. (A blocked message could originate from the network without this problem, but this is a phone feature and not a network feature.)
 
Pspressart said:
I welcome blocking. I regularly get calls for a really nice local restaurant to make a reservation (one digit change in phone number), particularly from winter visitors. Being able to block their calls - especially when they call three or four times in a row - is a nice feature. I already had a contact named "rejected" with a silent ringtone, and I just add those restaurant callers to the rejected contact, and now they will be blocked.
Click to expand...

I have no problem with blocking, if you read thru the thread OP wants people to be notified they are being blocked. I have blocked a few numbers myself.
 
I hope apple improve it and expand its ability, why can the call block not just answer without speaker and mic activation, then drop the call instantly?

Our Panasonic home phones have a superb block facility (limited number of blocked numbers though) that if you block a number, it will ring once, then change to the dead line sound. Very good.
 
JohnLT13 said:
I forgot texting was the only form of communication left these days. No worries Im sure when your served papers for child support it will not come via text message.
Click to expand...

Wow. Thank you for your awesome contribution to this thread. It was just an example of 1 of many many different situations where this will lead to problems.

Now please inform your wife that I have blocked her. Thanks.
 
JohnLT13 said:
Lousy? It does what its meant to do. If your pissed at someone text them and tell them you have blocked them.
Or would you like Apple to do your dirty work.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you.

wepiii said:
I agree with OP. Lousy feature. If I block someone, I want them to know they are blocked. I don't need them assuming their texts have been delivered. That WILL DEFINITELY lead to problems. Here's a crude and quick example.

Boyfriend and girlfriend break up. Boyfriend blocks girlfriend. Girlfriend text boyfriend a week later to tell him she is pregnant. Boyfriend doesn't get message. Girlfriend has a delivery receipt saying he did get message. Boyfriend doesn't know he is a father. Girlfriend assumes boyfriend is a deadbeat.
Click to expand...

If you want them to know they're blocked then text them yourself. Otherwise it smacks of immaturity. Your example is pretty silly to me.
 
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