Sick and Tired of Robocalls? This App Can Block Them Better Than the FCC
Credit: Call ControlToggle Dark Mode
If you’re like most Americans, you get robocalls. Whether you get them a few days a week, a few times a day, or more, they’re undoubtedly a nuisance and possibly infuriating.
The problem is likely to get worse, too. The Federal Communications Commission predicts that half of all calls made in 2019 will be robocalls. And while the FCC and telecom industry are working a system called SHAKEN/STIR that can mitigate robocalls, deploying that system may take time. Similarly, SHAKEN/STIR comes with a big caveat that we’ll get into later.
What’s the Solution?
That’s why a third-party app like Call Control is a good solution. It’s available now and does quite a bit more to block spam and robocalls than SHAKEN/STIR.
Call Control automatically blocks unsolicited calls and texts based on data from a variety of sources — from first-party, crowdsourced data to FTC and FCC Do Not Call lists.
When a spam or robocall comes in, you can report it via the app’s CommunityIQ system. That marks the caller as a spammer and blocks the number for everyone else. With 12 million active users, the app has a lot of data to work with.
The app also automatically silences calls and texts that are marked as spam. That goes a step further than the proposed SHAKEN/STIR system, which only authenticates whether a call is legitimate. Call Control doesn’t let those spam calls get through to you. SHAKEN/STIR marks them as robocalls, but leaves hanging up on them to you.
Call Control can also protect your information and cybersecurity with enhanced caller ID and reverse phone number lookup — so you can tell whether or not your bank is actually calling you. It also takes action against phishing and scam calls.
It also comes with various other features, including a baked-in do not disturb mode, call history and logging tools and contact backups. The app has a good privacy policy, as well. Its developers state that none of your data is used unless you specifically opt-in.
Perhaps best of all, Call Control is affordable. You can sign up for a full year of the premium call-blocking service for just $19.99 here.
