Arran
macrumors 603
Most of my doctors (over!) communicate with me via various apps now. Privacy is probably why.
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Get Your iPhone to Ask Callers Who They Are Before You Answer
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Timpetus
macrumors 6502a
My technique takes a bit more work, but it's working pretty well on my iPhone and my work desk phone. The robocalls generally take about 4 seconds to connect you to a human once the computer hears your voice answer. If I don't hear a human on the line immediately, I won't say anything, or if I have already triggered the connection, I mute my mic before it connects. If I'm feeling particularly spicy, I transfer them as fast as I can to our office fax line, so they can enjoy the modem music.
This has worked pretty well. Convincing them the number isn't active doesn't work because they already know it is when it rings. If you can convince them you're wasting too much of their human agents' time, that'll often get them to give up and leave you alone!
This has worked pretty well. Convincing them the number isn't active doesn't work because they already know it is when it rings. If you can convince them you're wasting too much of their human agents' time, that'll often get them to give up and leave you alone!
mattopotamus
macrumors P6
I also never get spam calls anymore because of this feature. They never even ring my phone because they can't get through this, at least as of today.
In the beta people were confused, but because of such a high adoption rate of the latest iOS, it seems most have encounter this and it's no longer a surprise.
kalsta
macrumors 68000
Yep, I sometimes use this technique too when it’s an unknown number—just pick up and say nothing. After a few seconds, a real person will say, ‘Hello?’
WarmWinterHat
Suspended
Hmmm...
iOS 26 Shows Unusually Slow Adoption Months After Release [Updated]
Update: As noted by Nick Heer on his Pixel Envy blog, analytics data is unreliable because Safari on iOS 26 is reporting a different operating system version in the user agent string that analytics services rely on for data. For example, devices on several versions of iOS 26 are reporting...
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My insurance agent gave her name and reason, but she has been the only one.
davebarnes
macrumors regular
Why would I use this feature? How will I waste the time of roof inspection services and burial insurance offers?
CasinoOwl
macrumors 6502
This is an interesting feature, but I feel weird using it. If I'm not available, I believe it will ask who a person is and then send them to voicemail anyway... which feels like a snub. If I get a call from an unknown number I prefer to let it go to voicemail and I can call them back right away (or pick up if the live voicemail shows it's a call I want to answer).
I enabled this feature and unfortunately the spam calls I'm getting are already spoofing it. "Hi this is Ethan Cole with the tax resolution oversight department...." OR "This is Sarah with the loan processing team...". Let's them on in.
cougarmeat
macrumors member
If the the phone is off or the call message not responded too, does the "receptionist" give a polite "Good Bye"? I don't turn my phone on unless I'm going to use it, so I probably won't see the message.
gaximus
macrumors 68030
I love this feature, it has reduced my scam calls dramatically. When I used ti just end the call with out answering, they would continue to call back. For some reason after Siri answers, they just remove me from the list, they know its now a waste of time to even try calling, where before they would continue to try just to get ahold of a real person. I do wish it would record the entire conversation with Siri, instead of just the response.
ikramerica
macrumors 68030
Good. They can text. My doctors all have texting and email services and still insist on calling about the same appointment they just texted about.
The problem with this is that human spammers aren't the ones calling anymore. A robodialer isn't going to give a useful response. All I get is "I'm sorry. I did not hear you. Good bye." The software that maintains the list of numbers doesn't remove your number because technically, you answered or rather your voicemail answered. You have to not answer at all to eventually get your number off the list.
Besides, what passes for a spam filter on a phone provider is a very limited number of neighborhood filter entries. The spammers have dozens of exchanges to use. Plus, you often don't have the option to automatically not answer and don't ring.
The phone providers are making money off the spammers and they're making subscription money off "more advanced" filters. Of course they aren't going to do anything about it.
Besides, what passes for a spam filter on a phone provider is a very limited number of neighborhood filter entries. The spammers have dozens of exchanges to use. Plus, you often don't have the option to automatically not answer and don't ring.
The phone providers are making money off the spammers and they're making subscription money off "more advanced" filters. Of course they aren't going to do anything about it.
jlc1978
macrumors 604
Which is why AI needs to do some basic pattern recognition and based on the % match simply hangup without going to vm. Alternatively, you could hoist the Jolly Roger.
Yea, sometimes when I'm bored I like to yank their chain. Bonus points if they start screaming at me; but mostly they get confused when I say I don't want a free dinner (cause TANSTAAFL or D, for that matter). Once you get them off script the fun begins.
AppleTO
macrumors 68000
Sure, but at least you know that it’s spam before you accept the call.
AppleTO
macrumors 68000
AppleTO
macrumors 68000
I’ve actually been doing this for years. Works great. The computers doing the scam calling will hang up if they don’t hear anything in the first few seconds.
applefan8254
macrumors 6502a
It will be interesting to see what happens to third party call screening apps now that the screening feature is part of the iPhone OS. I was using Hiya which worked pretty well but uninstalled it when I learned the screening feature are built into the iOS 26. Some of the screening apps are very expensive and comments from users are mostly negative. I will add that I didn't have much of a spam calling problem to begin with. .....
normwood
macrumors 6502a
It fixes nothing. I tried. It still allows them to leave a message. I want them blocked from even getting through. Period. I get some version of a scam loan call every single day.