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I'd like to write some rules for incoming calls on my iPhone. For instance, if a call from a certain number comes in, I'd like it to go to voice-mail. Or simply hang up and not answer at all.

Is there a way to do this natively on the iPhone or perhaps an app that does that?

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3 Answers

up vote 2 down vote accepted

If you DO want to jailbreak, iBlacklist works great for this.

You can have blacklists, whitelists, lists just for SMS, lists that occur during a certain schedule (say work hours), multiple lists active simultaneously, and different actions for different lists, etc.

So you could use it to ignore some calls, some some calls straight to voicemail, and ignore other calls while automatically sending that number an SMS that says "At work, will call you back tonight" etc

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up vote 2 down vote

Without jail breaking iOS - you can't get a phone call on any app but the Apple phone app (which doesn't support call screening as you asked).

Some carriers will let you set this up - but it's nothing to do with the iPhone.

Lastly, there are tons of services that require another phone number. Google Voice is one where you can program quiet hours, white list or black list and have exactly such control.

The downside to these other apps is that you'll need to have people call your alternate number, so it's not as easy - even with the ability to port an existing number to GV and then get a new number from your carrier.

Several iOS apps work with Google Voice like the official app and GV Mobile + and there are probably a hundred other VOIP solutions on the app store, but Google and Skype are the big players today.

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"Without jail breaking iOS - you can't get a phone call on any app but the Apple phone app (which doesn't support that feature)." I wish people would stop claiming jailbreaking is the solution to every problem out there. There are limits to what can be installed even on a jailbroken phone. And currently, no such application exists. @bmike, please consider removing that line unless you have specific evidence that a 3rd party app is available. – cksum Sep 16 '11 at 17:30
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I'm just explaining the limitations as I see them - not advocating any course of action. I'm giving options relating to the question at hand - perhaps you are reading more into my answers than I'm putting there? It's up to the OP to pick the solution - not you or I. You're encouraged to both edit any answer of mine that's wrong or provide your own answer. I don't see a need for your suggested edit as this isn't about every problem, just the problem of screening calls. – bmike♦ Sep 16 '11 at 17:49
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Even with jailbreaking, you cannot make or receive phone calls on anything but the actual native "phone" app. So you are technically wrong. And I've seen you make claim before that a solution is to jailbreak when you don't have any evidence that there exists a 3rd party app to meet the OPs needs. I'd rather you only include factual statements in your answers rather than off-the-cuff remarks that have no factual basis. I'm sure OPs would to; I'm sure everyone knows jailbreaking is an option, but you will likely send them on a wild goose chase. And I didn't edit your answer out of respect. – cksum Sep 16 '11 at 17:57
Awesome - I appreciate the dialog and respect :-) I personally know at least 15 people that can in fact hack iOS to change the way the phone works (a few even answer questions here from time to time). I'm not providing details since jail breaking likely is wrong for this situation and expect someone who intends to do it to know it might help, but have to find their answer elsewhere. I hope many people go on a wild goose chase in search of knowledge based on answers I make here - properly armed with the knowledge that they are on their own and own their decision to stray into Jailbreak land. – bmike♦ Sep 16 '11 at 18:16
Do take a whack at editing several of my answers you don't like. You might be surprised how happy I am with your improvements. With the points you've made here and elsewhere you've earned my respect so I'll be more likely to let your edits fly. Also - I'll really know what you mean rather than trying to guess based on comments. Seriously - edit whenever you feel my advice can be bad. I'll see your comments in the change log and probably hit you up on chat if any give me heartburn - from what I see - we're not that far off, so edit away! – bmike♦ Sep 16 '11 at 18:23
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up vote 2 down vote

While there are some jailbreak options, which I think have all been discussed in other answers here. Have you tried just calling up your network and seeing if they will block calls from the specific number from ever getting through? You can certainly do this on landlines so I can't see why a mobile would be any different.

There is no feature built into the iPhone, nor any 3rd party iPhone app that will do what you're after. Unless you join the darkside ;)

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