XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone, comp.mobile.android
From: arlenholder@newmachine.com
On Sat, 1 Aug 2020 10:50:48 +0000 (UTC), badgolferman wrote:
>> Download on the App Store
>>
>>
>> Get it on Google Play
>>
>
> Yes, I installed it. Haven't gotten any scam calls yet. Wish there was a
> way to know what it's blocking though.
Hi The Real Bev,
I have a family plan where I pay for a lot of the kids and grandkids since
the family plan is a decent deal (about $25/month per line with unlimited
US calls & text and 4GB high-speed data) - where I saw something that
intimated it might only work for one line... so I need to test that out.
This is a new app to all of us, where, for privacy reasons, I don't keep
any contacts in the default sqlite database simply because Google uploads
them even when you don't ask Google to do that (there is no real protection
other than to have an empty default sqlite contacts database).
Luckily, I find free, ad free, gsf free apps for contacts and phone which
use their own private contacts database, _outside_ of the highly insecure
default contacts sqlite database that other people use without thinking of
the inherent loss of privacy consequences of uploading your friends,
family, kids, and grandkids' contacts to the Internet.
So it will be interesting if this new free, ad free, GSF dependent T-Mobile
"Scam Shield" app will work, given I don't even have a Google ID on my
phone, and given I've turned off all Google services possible on my phone.
I will install T-Mobile Scam Shield version 4.0.0.3205.3205 on my $100 Moto
G7, which I recently updated to Android 10 (just to test it out) and let
you know how it works out.
Apparently you can't "authenticate" it on Wi-Fi; you must authenticate the
Scam Shield while on Mobile Data.
Apparently the Scam Shield updates on T-Mobile's network every 6 minutes,
according to what the app is telling me in the Scam Shield intro.
1. When installing, it gives you the option to enable free caller id.
2. In Settings > Scam Shield features" is a "proxy" phone number.
3. Also at that location, you can change your number for free yearly.
Of course, they try to foist upon you a "Premium" service by saying "I'm
eligible" for their free for 30 days (I'll stick to the "Basic" plan!)
where the $4/month "Premium" service apparently adds:
a. Manage blocked numbers
b. Send call types to voicemail
{i.e., nuisance, telemarketing, survey, political, charity, prison}
c. Reverse number lookup
d. Voicemails sent to your SMS (via visual voicemail)
But I'll stick with the basic plan as I never pay for any software on a
mobile device, since you can get everything you need for free if you're
smart about it.
I'm testing it out now, where it says "Scam Block is on", and where it says
they'll block known scams for me automatically.
They seem to allow you to create three lists inside the Basic app:
A. A list of favorites (which they will never block)
B. A list of unwanted callers to block (logged in the activity log)
C. A list of numbers to send straight to voice mail
And you can set, inside the app, notifications for:
a. A likely scam call is blocked (basic plan)
b. A caller is blocked (premium plan)
c. A call category is sent to voicemail (premium plan)
It shows what your caller ID is that other people see.
Then there's this "PROXY by Digits" thingey...
"You can get one free PROXY number per account on any of our
Magenta or Essential plans"
That's about it for a one-minute inspection of the app so far.
--
The cost of freeware is in testing and finding those which work best.
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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