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Call Blocking

Call Blocking lets you stop unwanted calls - such as spam, robocalls, or a specific harassing number - from reaching your office extension. You define the rules once and then turn blocking on or off whenever you need it, without having to re-enter anything.

Blocking works as a set of rules that Connect evaluates for each incoming call, treating calls with a caller ID and calls without one separately, since anonymous calls are often handled differently from identifiable ones.

Rules for calls with a caller ID

Choose whether these calls are, by default, Block or Allow, then add exceptions:

  • If your default is Block, you can enter caller IDs that should be allowed through anyway (an allow-list of trusted numbers).
  • If your default is Allow, you can enter caller IDs that should be blocked (a block-list of specific unwanted numbers).

The default-plus-exceptions design means you rarely have to list every number. Most people leave the default at Allow and simply add the handful of numbers they want to reject.

Rules for calls without a caller ID

For calls that arrive with no caller ID, the choice is simply Block or Allow. Blocking anonymous calls is an effective way to cut down on spam, but be aware it can also stop legitimate callers who withhold their number.

What happens to a blocked call

Use When blocking calls to decide how a rejected caller is handled:

  • Send caller to voicemail immediately - the caller can still leave a message.
  • Play “busy” to caller - the caller hears a busy tone.
  • Play “ringing” to caller, then disconnect - the caller hears ringing and the call then ends, so it appears unanswered.
  • Play “ringing” to caller, then send to voicemail - the caller hears ringing before being sent to voicemail.

Playing “ringing” first is useful when you do not want a blocked caller to realize they were deliberately blocked.

Tips

  • Keep the default at Allow and maintain a short block-list; it is easier to manage than blocking everything and allow-listing.
  • Routing blocked callers to voicemail lets you review whether a legitimate caller was caught by mistake.
  • You can enter your rules once and use Enable / Disable to toggle blocking as needed - for example, turning it on only during a spam campaign.

Call Blocking applies to calls to your office phone extension, not to direct calls from other Thirdlane Connect users.