Why was call blocking removed from Android?

semmelbroesel

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Jan 23, 2011
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Hi.
I was wondering if anyone knew this...

I have seen reports left and right about various ways to block unwanted calls on Android - some from the Call Settings, some from the Contacts.
But at least since Gingerbread that seems to not be the case anymore, and we users are forced to install 3rd party apps for this.

Does anyone know why this feature was removed?

Was it removed from all Android phones or only a few select ones (Samsung Fascinate in my case)?

You'd think this to be a fairly essential feature to a phone these days, so I have no idea why it disappeared...

I'd appreciate any input you might have!

Richard
 

rocker22dallas

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I haven't heard of doing it through android itself, and my phone doesn't have it. However I have used 3rd part apps in the past, and they work very well in my experience.

Sent from my Galaxy S II epic 4g touch. 4.0.3 FC05 ICS
 

PvilleComp

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There should be a "Send all calls to Voicemail" option in Contacts. But, if you really want to "block" a number from ever reaching you, Customer Service for you carrier should be able to do it.

Hope this helps.
 

semmelbroesel

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That's just it - the "send number to voicemail option" doesn't exist on my phone. I have seen instructions in various places for at least two methods of blocking calls just from within the Android system, but none seem to exist at least since Gingerbread. These reports all seem to be older, i.e. 2010 or earlier 2011.
 

sRedwolf

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My Samsung Galaxy S Captivate (on Gingerbread) has an option to add a number to the "Reject List". It completely blocks the call - I don't think they even get to voicemail. I have it currently on a custom AT&T ROM but prior to that it was also available in the stock Rogers ROM.
 

meburdick

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- Go to your list of Contacts (either from the Contacts app or from the Dialer and selecting the Contacts tab)
- Tap on any contact WITH A PHONE NUMBER
- Tap the Menu button
- Choose "More"
- Tap "Add to reject list"

Done.
 

semmelbroesel

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Well, my phone doesn't have that option:
When I open a contact and hit the Menu button, my only options are:
Edit, Delete, Join contact, Mark as default, Send via.
Done...

Hence my original question :)

Why do some phones or some version of the OS not have that option anymore given how important it can be these days?
 

meburdick

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Here are some things that I can tell you for certain...

Removal of this option is not because of Gingerbread (my Galaxy Note has that version and it's in there), and it's also not because of Verizon (I presume that's your carrier) because my Droid X on Verizon has that feature.

Verizon is NOTORIOUS for "lobotomizing" their phones in any way they can without sacrificing the minimum features in the phones that the manufacturers advertise.

If your OS was an OTA upgrade, you may want to consider doing a factory reset on the device to see if it has any impact. My wife's Droid X got an OTA upgrade at the same time mine did (a while ago), and my phone was unscathed while hers created some functional issues as a result. In the end, we both ended up with a couple of differences in what options were available to us.
 

semmelbroesel

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I've actually started playing with different ROMs, and my current one doesn't have it (Powerwashed GB - yes I'm aware there's more out there, and I'll try them eventually), but I also remember looking for it after the OTA upgrade to GB and also after installing a clean stock GB ROM.

It's like to be a Verizon thing, though.

I was just curious if there was a particular reason for it or just a provider thing of making life difficult - or make the user pay more for things that other users can get for free...
 

DragonSinOfWrath

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Verizon charges and extra $5 to block calls and texts for you. That is why they wash some of the options out of the OS. Until recently I haven't had a need to block a person's texts and calls. Now that I need to, I don't have that ability on my Verizon LG G4.... Having long since switched my service over to Straight Talk, its not like I can take advantage of Verizon's generous, extra $5 to my plan to block a person.