AT&T Call Protect

The app itself is a godsend. Being able to see and block spammers, telemarketers etc. integrated into both the phone display and at the network level itself is great. However, the app is broken in one very significant and unacceptable way. Some of the features (e.g. auto-blocking telemarketers, as opposed to just spammers) are hidden behind a $3.99/mo. “Plus” subscription. We could argue over whether the extra charge is warranted, but that’s not what this review is about. No, the issue is that the subscription option DOES NOT WORK. I have paid for it, it appears in my iTunes billing, etc. but the relevant screens in the app still say “upgrade to Plus!” I was able to access the extra features once, when I first unlocked Plus, but in every subsequent app access they are hidden again as if I never upgraded. When I click “upgrade” from within the app, it says “you are already subscribed” but the relevant menu systems do not appear – it keeps advertising a service I already paid for. This is an incredibly bad error to have. The app essentially has taken my money and given nothing in return. Fix this, AT&T.

This app works as advertised and for what I want it for. I’ve read some of the negative reviews and I have to disagree. With the advent of VOIP it’s nearly impossible for any telephone to screen and block every scammer that calls because they just keep generating new numbers or spoofing good ones, but it does a fairly good job. What many don’t realise is that they will have to provide input and participate in the process. Every time you do get a call that is a scam/spam, report it and block it. I understand that some think it should happen automatically EVERY TIME, the truth is that the numbers have to be checked against a database of reported numbers. If NOBODY reports the numbers, then how is the company supposed to know it’s a scam/spam call (DUHHHH). Now that I’ve been using it, I do see that many of the nuisance calls are getting screened for me. Some are being Flagged and suspect, while others are Autoblocked. In conclusion, have patience with and report the numbers that don’t get screened and it will get better.

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I gave it two stars because it seems to work fine once I go through the steps of answering the call to here the automated message and then proceed to the app and block the number. My suggestion is that the app have the option for the user to identify numbers in the users contacts as the numbers to accept and then when a call comes in not on the contact file match is either blocked automatically or given to the user to accept or reject and block. As the app is currently constructed it is not much better than the manual steps a user can take to block a call through the iPhone features. In my opinion for the app to be really effective it should be more automated and determine that a call is from a bot and block it. The calls I get come from random numbers and change to another number once I block it but are always a bot asking questions about either selling me or wanting me to do something. I would prefer to identify the type of calls I want to block and have the app screen it to block. Example: I could choose to - block all calls from automated bots - and the app would follow my instructions, block it and notify me it was blocked so I could decide if I wanted it on my do not block list. I would pay for an app which had these type of features.

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The app rarely registers scam calls, and only 10% of the time does it display SPAM RISK when I receive robo calls. BUT...AT&T will block all robo calls by identifying the SSID of all incoming calls to my phone for $3.99 extra a month! Hey AT&T...you know these frauds are being perpetrated against your customers and you have the ability to stop it, by instituting caller-hardware filtering software. Do you do it for the safety and security of your customers? No, you tell them they should pay to to stop allowing the criminals your system knowingly allows to continue committing these crimes. That is aiding and abetting when you knowingly assist the criminal. Then to appease your long-standing customers who are disgusted by your lack of assistance in preventing the continuation of the frauds, you offer this app which makes the customer have to manually filter out ‘most’ of these calls, when your internal software would block the calls from going through in the first place. Sadly, after nearly 20 years with you, I think it’s time to look for another provider...merely on principal - even if the other company doesn’t offer anything more in protection from these menacing calls. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, but your offer to block these criminal calls is nothing but extortion when it is your service that is the vehicle for their existence!

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The app works great! Within days of putting it on my phone the insane amount of telemarketers, political calls, scammers, and unknown numbers have been blocked or at least flagged so I know not to answer them. I immediately manually block them. The message they get when they call my phone number is great and it really has cut down on my calls. Here’s what really makes me angry and here’s why the app received two stars from me. I have never had any other cellular service. I have the same phone number I started with waaaay back in the early days of wireless. Back in the Cellular One/MCI Wireless, the first AT&T, the buyout by Cingular, and the switch back to AT&T wireless and this is the thanks I get for being a loyal customer with seven lines of wireless service (with data) and DirectTV. They actually want me to pay $3.99 for Call Protect Plus? If they're not willing to give the Call Protect Plus at no charge to everyone, they should at least provide the service to those of us who have been faithful customers and/or give them a tremendous amount of business. There’s no excuse for charging customers for this service! They already get a ridiculous amount of money from me. I don’t think I should have to fork out more to them for Call Protect Plus.