The summary of ‘How to Stop 99% of Spam Robocalls Right Now’

This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.

00:00:0000:11:36

In this video, theojo provides strategies to mitigate the increasing problem of robocalls, emphasizing a multi-faceted approach rather than seeking complete eradication. Key points revolve around utilizing national Do Not Call Registries, such as the U.S. Do Not Call Registry and the UK's Telephone Preference Service, though recognizing their limitations against fraudulent and exempt callers.

He outlines various spam-blocking services offered by U.S. cell phone carriers: AT&T's Call Protect, Verizon's Call Filter, and T-Mobile’s Scam Block, each with free and paid tiers that provide essential spam detection and additional features.

Further, third-party apps like Hiya, Robokiller, and Nomorobo are discussed. Hiya offers both free and paid versions, with the paid version providing quicker updates. Robokiller filters calls by forwarding them to their service and uses "answer bots" to interact with spammers. Nomorobo leverages crowdsourcing for its spam list. The speaker also warns about the difficulty in blocking spoofed neighbor numbers, offering apps like Wide Protect for iOS and Calls Blacklist for Android as solutions.

Finally, the speaker demonstrates methods to block calls on iOS and Android devices, suggesting the combination of multiple apps and techniques to maximize effectiveness, while acknowledging the challenge of preventing robocalls from reaching voicemail on iOS. The overall recommendation is to adopt a variety of tools and techniques to block the majority of robocalls.

00:00:00

In this part of the video, theojo addresses strategies to block robocalls, acknowledging their increase and emphasizing mitigation rather than complete eradication. He starts by recommending the U.S. Do Not Call Registry (donotcall.gov), which can stop legitimate companies that obey the law from calling but warns it won’t affect fraudulent callers or exempt entities like political groups or charities. He suggests similar services exist in other countries, like the UK’s Telephone Preference Service.

Next, theojo highlights the spam blocking services provided by various U.S. cell phone carriers. AT&T offers ‘Call Protect’ with both free and paid versions, where the free version covers most needs with fraud and spam blocking while the paid version provides enhanced features. Verizon’s ‘Call Filter’ also has free and paid options, with the free service covering essential spam detection and filtering. T-Mobile’s ‘Scam Block’ can be enabled through account settings and is available for free on most postpaid plans.

00:03:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses a range of call spam blocking options available for mobile users. They start by mentioning the need to enable certain settings or download specific apps such as the T-Mobile account settings app or Sprint’s premium caller ID app, which costs $3 per month. However, the speaker suggests these options may not be as effective or worthwhile compared to third-party apps.

One of the highlighted third-party apps is Hiya, which has both free and paid versions. The free version effectively blocks fraud and nuisance calls, allows users to report them, and offers a feature called neighbor spoof protection to block calls that mimic the user’s phone number prefix. The paid version of Hiya, costing $3 per month, mainly offers faster updates and premium caller ID lookup, which the speaker feels may not justify the cost.

The speaker also mentions that Hiya has merged with another app called Mr. Number, rendering them effectively the same, with Mr. Number essentially being the paid version of Hiya.

Next, the speaker introduces Nomorobo, a paid app costing around $2 per month, which works differently by crowdsourcing its spam call list from all its users.

00:06:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses various apps designed to block spam calls. They explain how some apps, like Hiya, work by detecting patterns in calls and automatically adding suspected spam numbers to a block list. Hiya is a paid app, recommended if the free version is ineffective. Robokiller, another paid app, uses a different method by forwarding calls to their service for filtering, ensuring spam calls don’t reach voicemail. Robokiller also features “answer bots” that interact with spammers. The speaker also mentions the challenge of blocking spoofed neighbor numbers, which are harder to detect. Wide Protect is suggested for iOS users; it’s a one-time fee app that blocks numbers by creating filters based on the starting digits of phone numbers.

00:09:00

In this part of the video, the speaker explains methods to block unwanted calls on iOS and Android devices. For iOS users, the “Wide Protect” app can filter and block calls starting with specific numbers, and users need to enable multiple lists due to a 2 million number limit per list enforced by iOS. On Android, the “Calls Blacklist” app offers similar functionality and is free. Additionally, iOS users might notice multiple lists within these apps due to the mentioned limit, and enabling more lists depends on how many numbers are being blocked. The speaker advises combining multiple apps and techniques to block nearly 99% of robocalls. However, blocking calls from going into voicemail is more restricted on iOS compared to Android. The speaker also encourages viewers to leave and check comments for more tips and suggests subscribing for more content.

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