topic Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail in Mobile Services

Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

BM_Rob — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 08:57:51 GMT

If I block a number on my Iphone it diverts to voicemail where the caller can continue to bother me by leaving a voicemail message

If my friend on O2 blocks a number on their Iphone - it is sent to voicemail but there is no notification and no message stored. Bliss!

Why does EE divert block numbers to voicemail?

Thanks

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

Leanne_T — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:46:51 GMT

Hi @BM_Rob

Thanks for coming back to the community.

If you block certain numbers from being able to call or text you on the phone, when this is activated, callers will be diverted to your voicemail.

If you are experiencing malicious calls and they are leaving voicemail messages, please report them to the police straight away.

For more details, please see our Avoid unwanted texts or calls, Help page.

Leanne.

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

BM_Rob — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 11:55:06 GMT

Hi @Leanne_T

But why divert to voicemail? By diverting it isn't blocking, is it?

Imagine the scenario where an elderly person is misdialling (by mistake, or because they cannot remember they called you 5 mins ago) your number. Should I report them? I'd say, no. It would be better to divert to a bucket or play a message - the callee is not accepting your call.

Regards

Paul

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

Leanne_T — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:16:45 GMT

I understand @BM_Rob

Sorry this is not an option when blocking the numbers, this would divert to voicemail if you have this active.

Leanne.

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

BM_Rob — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:08:03 GMT

Hi @Leanne_T

Can it be raised as an enhancement / feature request?

O2 seem to have it sorted.

Regards

Paul

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

Katie_B — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:41:14 GMT

Hi @BM_Rob.

We can absolutely send this as feedback to the relevant team.

Katie

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

bristolian — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 16:38:56 GMT

Call blocking works the same way across all the UK networks, by acting as a CLI-dependent divert to voicemail.

I suspect your friend on O2 has their voicemail configured differently, to not allow message deposit in particular scenarios - EE do offer their own config, such as setting an "extended absence greeting" and preventing message deposit.

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

BM_Rob — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:16:49 GMT

Hi @bristolian

It does look like "block" doesn't do what it says on the tin on Iphones. It allows diversion to voicemail on Iphones.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201229

On Android, https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/6325463?hl=en-GB it looks like it declines - When the number tries to call you, your phone will decline the call automatically.

It then also mentions that if Visual Voicemail is on callers cannot leave voicemails. So, it says "decline" and then the visual voicemail sentence says "cannot leave voicemails". It isn't very clear.

Testing on EE with an Iphone. Just blocking diverts the call to VM and I get notification. Turning on Visual VM, the call gets diverted to VM, no notification. Clicking VoiceMail in the Phone app shows "Blocked caller". I can then play or delete without listening to the message.

It looks like EE, O2 and VF support Visual Voicemail. Three has help pages but then says check SIM.

It looks like there is a solution for Iphone. I cannot test Android.

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

Andyc31 — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 13:20:38 GMT

This is not good. How can it go to voicemail? There are vulnerable people and some nasty people trying to scam them. Not acceptable.

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

Christopher_G — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 14:48:40 GMT

Hi @Andyc31

Which type of device are you using? There are options and steps we can go through, to stop people from being able to leave a voicemail, if needed.

Chris

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

Andyc31 — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 15:14:00 GMT

Samsung S10, if you have a solution, that would be appreciated but blocked should mean blocked not easily accessible if you divert to answer phone.

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

Leanne_T — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 17:18:45 GMT

Hi @Andyc31

If you block certain numbers from being able to call or text you on the phone, when this is activated, callers will be diverted to your voicemail.

If you are experiencing malicious calls and they are leaving voicemail messages, please report them to the police straight away.

For more details, please see our Avoid unwanted texts or calls, Help page.

If you would like to remove the voicemail you can text VM OFF to 150 and this will remove anyone leaving voicemail messages.

Leanne.

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

Richard207 — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 11:59:06 GMT

Sorry EE but this just isn’t good enough. I don’t want to switch off VM, I just want to stop blocked contacts leaving VM messages. Anyone who blocks a contact would want this too, so can you please update your system to prevent vide this function, just as O2 does? Thank you

Re: Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

bristolian — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 12:34:14 GMT

Call blocking is a phone function. Voicemail deposit is a network function.

The posts above explain how EE's network operates.