The iPhone allows you to block call centers by also using FaceTime or the Messages app. Here's how to do it and what the limitations are
Telemarketing is certainly an interesting economic resource, a sales method that can work and that can leave both sellers and buyers satisfied. But only if it is done well, not when it is unnecessarily hammering. As it often is.
Lately, then, there are many different ways to contact a possible customer besides the classic phone call. Call centers, for example, are already starting to use FaceTime to reach iPhone users. And this, for those who are Apple fans, is in addition to calls, texts and emails that are most often classified as spam. Those with iPhones, however, can limit at least some of the bombardment by call centers on all these possible fronts by choosing the right settings on the Phone, FaceTime, Messages and Mail apps. Here's what they are.
How to block call centers on iPhone
The interesting thing about Apple's official iPhone apps, Phone, Messages, FaceTime, and Mail, is that they're all integrated: if you block someone on FaceTime, then you'll also prevent them from calling, texting, and emailing you. Same thing if we block him from one of the other apps. With a single step, therefore, we can "armor" ourselves from the call center. It's up to us to choose the app.
Block Someone on Phone
To block a contact from the phone app we first need to find the number they called us from, within recent calls. Then we have to tap on the "i" next to the number and from the options choose "Block contact" which we find at the bottom of the screen.
Block someone on Messages
To block a caller from the Messages app we have to open the conversation, tap on the contact and then "i". Then we tap on the contact's name, number or email and scroll to the end of the screen, then tap on "Block contact".
Block someone on FaceTime
If the call center called us on FaceTime, to block them we open the app and tap the "i" next to the contact. Also in this case we have to scroll to the bottom to find "Block contact".
Blocking someone on Mail
Blocking a call center that sends us emails is even easier: we open Mail, open the message coming from the call center, tap the contact at the top and then "Block contact".
Blocking call centers on iPhone: the limits
There are, however, limits to these procedures. The first is that if we block someone from a mail app other than Mail (for example from Gmail), we won't block them on the other apps as well. The second is that we have to block call centers one by one and, very often, call centers use hundreds of different numbers and addresses. In these cases it's much more effective not to use Apple's app and prefer a third-party one like Truecaller (for blocking calls and SMS, for email it's not enough).