Ask HN: How far would you go to stop spam calls?

[jakswa]

Would you:

1. port your number into a developer-controlled service (Twilio is most well-known I think)

2. abandon your voice service (close account, port number away, replace voice SIM with a data-only SIM)

3. download a SIP app on your phone, to make/receive calls while in WiFi/LTE

4. abandon texting mostly (could have a browser UI simply enough, maybe with push notifications, but it's not the texting you're used to, if you use it)

If you are ok with all the above, I've been experimenting with this for months. I have two features that make calling work for me:

- a whitelist of caller IDs that are allowed to cause my phone to ring. My family, friends, etc are on this whitelist.

- a "temporary pass" where I let all calls through for a certain time period. I use this when expecting a call from an unknown caller ID soon (deliveries, uber/lyft, etc).

[ksaj]

I don't answer calls I don't recognize, and I'll never call an unfamiliar number just to find out.

The first few seconds of the voice message (or spoofed number call) is all that is needed to know if it was actually important. Spam? Press 7 and move on. No voice message? Clearly not important.

How hard is that?

[makecheck]

I would personally be fine with never using voice calls again. I am also fine not using Facebook. Unfortunately many things rely on what “every other person you know” does, and that has prevented me from abandoning either one.

[throwaway8879]

I use a Nokia 3310 when I'm outside the house. When I'm in, it stays turned off.