My Experience with Call Block: Filter and Blocker
My phone was driving me up the wall. For months, it seemed like every time I sat down to read the paper or watch my shows, it would ring with some nonsense about my car’s warranty or a fake IRS alert. I don’t even have the car they kept asking about! It got to be a real aggravation. My grandson mentioned there were apps for this, so I went looking for one that was free and didn’t look too complicated. I found Call Block: Filter and Blocker and gave it a shot on my Samsung phone. After about two weeks, I can tell you the difference is night and day. Last Tuesday morning, I was having my coffee and I saw the screen light up with a call from some strange number. It just showed a little message saying “Call Blocked” and then went away. No ringing, no fuss. For the first time in a long while, my phone felt like my phone again, not a machine for telemarketers.
Features Worth Noting
The best part is it just works without me having to fiddle with it much. Once I turned it on, it started using a big list of known spam numbers that other people have reported. I didn’t have to build a list myself. It also has a simple switch to block all calls from numbers not in my contacts. I use that in the evenings when I don’t want to be bothered. You can also make a list of numbers that are always allowed to ring, which I did for my doctor’s office and the pharmacy, since they sometimes call from a main line I don’t have saved. The menu isn’t cluttered with things I don’t understand. It’s basically a main screen with a big on/off button and a few clear options underneath. That’s the kind of design I appreciate.
What Needs Work
It’s not perfect, and a few things could be clearer. When you first open it, it asks for permission to manage your calls. The message it shows is full of technical words and it made me a bit nervous about what I was agreeing to. A simpler explanation would go a long way for folks like me. Also, while the ads at the bottom of the screen aren’t videos, they do change sometimes and if you’re not careful, you can tap them by accident when you’re trying to press a setting right above. I’ve done that twice. I wish the ads were placed somewhere less likely to get a mistaken tap.
Pricing
You can’t beat the price, it’s free. There are no pop-ups asking me to buy a subscription or upgrade to a “pro” version, which I really dislike in other apps. The trade-off for it being free is those banner ads I mentioned. For me, it’s a fair trade. I get a quiet phone without spending a dime. If the developer ever decided to make a one-time payment option to remove the ads completely, I might consider it, but as it stands, the free version does everything I need.
Developer Notes
I haven’t had any problems bad enough to need help, so I can’t say how good their support is. But I did what my grandson taught me and checked the app’s page on the Play Store. I saw that the people who made it, Appsbuyout, put out an update just last month. The note said it was to update the spam number list. Seeing that they’re still working on it and keeping the spam list fresh gives me some confidence that they haven’t just forgotten about the app. That’s important to me.
Security & Privacy
This was my biggest worry. Letting an app have control over my phone calls is a big deal. I read through the app’s description and the “Data safety” section on its store page. It says it doesn’t collect or share your personal data like your contact list or call history. The permission it needs is just to identify incoming calls and block them. After using it for two weeks, I haven’t seen any strange behavior on my phone or gotten weird emails, so it seems alright. I still wouldn’t recommend putting your bank information into any app, but for blocking calls, this one feels safe enough for my purposes.
How does Call Block: Filter and Blocker automatically block spam calls?
Once you turn it on, the app uses a constantly updated community-driven list of known spam numbers to block unwanted calls. You don't need to manually add numbers—it works in the background to stop telemarketers and scammers from ringing your phone.
Can I still receive calls from important numbers like my doctor or pharmacy?
Yes, you can create a personal allowlist of numbers that will always ring through, even when blocking is active. This is perfect for businesses or contacts that call from a main line you haven't saved in your phonebook.
I'm worried about the permissions the app asks for—what do I need to know?
The app needs permission to manage your calls in order to block spam and filter unknown numbers. While the initial request uses technical language, it simply allows the app to read incoming call details and silence or reject spam calls without interrupting you.
The app blocked a call I actually wanted—how do I fix that?
Check your blocklist and allowlist in the app's settings. If the number was incorrectly flagged, you can add it to your allowlist so future calls from that number will always come through. You can also report the number to help improve the spam list.
How does Call Block compare to other spam call blockers like Truecaller?
Call Block is much simpler to use—it has a big on/off button and clear options, making it ideal for people who don't want a cluttered interface. Unlike Truecaller, it doesn't show caller ID or require an account, so it's more straightforward for basic blocking without extra features.
