I need an app to block my coworkers' numbers

[novigari]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could recommend an app for android that I could use to block my coworkers' numbers. I can block them with the default Android app that I have, but to unblock them I have to remember the actual number, so it's not very practical. I only need it for a few of them, as well as the company numbers, and only on weekends. So I'd like to have an option to make a group of contacts that I can easily block and unblock. Is there such an app?
Thanks.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I moved this from the Android Apps forum to the General Help forum since the former is intended for developers to promote their apps.

 

[Rukbat]

novigari, I've never seen one that blocks a named group or one that blocks by contact names, only one that blocks by numbers. (And none that takes an external script file so you can have one to block a list of numbers and one to unblock that list.)

 

[novigari]

Well I remember my old HTC Desire 500 had its own dialer and I could block and unblock contacts by name. I would go to blocked numbers and all my contacts that I blocked were listed by name. It's funny there are so many apps out there and no one thought of offering that option, I'm sure a lot of people would find it useful.

 

[Tigrisan]

What kind of phone do you have? Have you tried the Do Not Disturb option in the phone itself? I use it and it's a godsend. It turns on automatically at 9 and off at 7 every day. The only calls/texts allowed through are from the numbers I've marked as 'favorites'. You can set the schedule for whatever you want and choose who you want to let through and everyone else will be blocked. And it all works quietly in the background once you've set it up. Might want to take a look at that. If you don't have that in the settings of the phone, there are several apps in the play store that will do the same thing, but read the reviews always before installing anything.

 

[novigari]

I have a Moto E4 with Microsoft launcher installed. I don't have the habit of using the don't disturb function but it's available, and maybe I should use it more.

 

[B. Diddy]

DND is definitely worth a go, but it approaches what you want from a different angle -- instead of blocking a certain group, it lets you select a certain group to allow calls from. Since the group you want to block is work, that's presumably a relatively small proportion of your contacts, so designating the rest of your contacts as exceptions to allow through DND might be tedious (you'd have to star all of them as favorites).

 

[Tigrisan]

While B. Diddy is correct in how it works, I've used it since it first became available. My 'favorites' are the only calls or notifications allowed through and those favorites are my immediate family in case of emergency. I want a good night's sleep at night and I don't want to be bothered with nonsense, so my schedule is only overnight. It just seems that blocking co-workers every weekend and then unblocking them on Mondays seemed like such a PITA so that's why I suggested it.

 

[B. Diddy]

Oh I agree -- that's how I use it as well! Hopefully this will work well for the OP.

 

[novigari]

So I'll give this Do Not Disturb thing a try, I starred some contacts that I know won't bother me and we'll see how it works. I'd still prefer blocking because it's not only about waking me up, if I see I got a message I'll read it and it could potentially ruin my day, but I already left the group chat and I think those toxic coworkers realize they went too far so I should be good for now.
Anyway thanks for the suggestions, I really appreciate it.