Introducing AT&T Smart Call Blocker

Not familiar with Smart Call Blocker? Want to know more?

The Smart Call Blocker is an effective call screening tool that allows your phone system to screen ALL incoming calls. This guide will help you understand how to enable call screening mode and perform necessary preparations.

Note: Use of the Smart Call Blocker feature requires a subscription to a Caller ID service. This product includes licensed Qaltel™ technology.

Document Issue: 5.0, May 2020

What is Smart Call Blocker?

Smart Call Blocker filters robocalls and unwanted calls while allowing your welcome calls to get through. You can create lists of welcome and unwelcome callers. The system allows calls from your welcome callers and blocks calls from your unwelcome callers.

For other unknown calls, you have the option to allow, block, screen them, or forward them to the answering system.

Easy configurations allow you to filter robocalls by requiring callers to press the pound key (♯) before connecting. You can also set the system to screen calls by asking callers to record their names and press the pound key (♯). After the caller completes the request, your telephone rings, announcing the caller's name. You can then choose to block or answer the call, or forward it to the answering system. If the caller hangs up, does not respond, or fails to record their name, the call is blocked from ringing.

Adding welcome callers to your Allow list ensures their calls bypass all screening and ring directly to your handsets.

With Call screening active, Smart Call Blocker screens and filters all incoming calls from numbers or names not saved in your Directory, Allow list, Block list, or Star Name list. You can easily add incoming phone numbers to your Allow and Block lists to manage how these calls are handled in the future.

Call Categories & Screening Logic

The Smart Call Blocker categorizes callers to manage incoming calls:

• Welcome calls: Family and friends in your Directory or Allow list.
• Unwelcome calls: Robocalls and telemarketing calls identified by numbers in your Block list.
• Calls without numbers: Calls that do not display Caller ID information.
• Uncategorized calls: Numbers or names not found in your Directory, Allow list, Star Name list, or Block list.

Diagram Description: Call Screening Logic

This diagram illustrates how calls are handled based on screening settings:

Screening without Caller Name

• A caller dials.
• The phone rings.
• The Smart Call Blocker prompts the caller: "Ask caller to press ♯" [pound symbol emoji ♯].
• If the caller presses the pound key (♯), the phone rings.
• You can then select to: Answer call, Answer call and always allow, Block, or Send to answering system.
• If there is no response or the caller does not press ♯, the call is rejected.

Screening with Caller Name

• A caller dials.
• The phone rings.
• The Smart Call Blocker prompts the caller: "Ask caller to announce his or her name, then press ♯".
• If the caller complies (e.g., says "John" and presses ♯), the phone rings.
• The phone announces the caller's name (e.g., "John").
• You can then select to: Answer call, Answer call and always allow, Block, or Send to answering system.
• If the caller does not respond, or fails to announce/record their name, the call is rejected.

Setup: Managing Your Lists

Move to Setup if you want to screen all unknown calls.

Directory

Enter and save telephone numbers of frequently called businesses, family members, and friends. This ensures their calls ring directly without going through the screening process.

To add contacts to your directory:

1. Press MENU on the handset or telephone base.
2. Press CID or ADIR to choose Directory, then press SELECT.
3. Press CID or ADIR to choose Add contact, then press SELECT.
4. Enter the telephone number (up to 30 digits), then press SELECT.
5. Enter a name (up to 15 characters), then press SELECT.
6. To add another contact, repeat from step 3.

Block list

Add numbers you want to prevent from ringing through.

To add a block entry:

1. Press CALL BLOCK on the handset or telephone base.
2. Press CID or ADIR to choose Block list, then press SELECT.
3. Press CID or ADIR to choose Add new entry, then press SELECT.
4. Enter the telephone number (up to 30 digits), then press SELECT.
5. Enter a name (up to 15 characters), then press SELECT.
6. To add another entry to the block list, repeat from step 3.

Allow list

Add numbers for calls you want to always allow through without screening.

To add an allow entry:

1. Press CALL BLOCK on the handset or telephone base.
2. Press CID or ADIR to choose Allow list, then press SELECT.
3. Press CID or ADIR to choose Add new entry, then press SELECT.
4. Enter the telephone number (up to 30 digits), then press SELECT.
5. Enter a name (up to 15 characters), then press SELECT.
6. To add another entry to the allow list, repeat from step 3.

Star name list

Add caller NAMES to your Star Name list to allow their calls to get through without screening. This is useful for organizations like schools, medical offices, and pharmacies that use autodialers for important information. By entering their names, calls will ring through even if you don't know their numbers.

To add a star name entry:

1. Press CALL BLOCK on the handset or telephone base.
2. Press CID or ADIR to choose Star name list, then press SELECT.
3. Press CID or ADIR to choose Add new entry, then press SELECT.
4. Enter a name (up to 15 characters), then press SELECT.
5. To add another entry to the star name list, repeat from step 3.

Configuring Smart Call Blocker Scenarios

Choose the Smart Call Blocker configuration that best suits your needs. You can use the voice guide for quick setup or configure manually.

Using the Voice Guide

Right after installing your phone, the voice guide will provide a quick and easy way to configure Smart Call Blocker. After setting the date and time, the telephone base will prompt you to set up Smart Call Blocker. Follow the voice prompts.

Scenarios available via Voice Guide:

• Press 1: Screen any call from numbers not saved in the Directory, Allow list, or Star Name list.
• Press 2: Screen calls that do not display a phone number (No Caller ID).
• Press 3: Allow all calls except those on the Block list only.

Note: To restart the voice guide, press CALL BLOCK on the telephone base, then press CID or ADIR to choose Voice guide, and then press SELECT.

Manual Configuration Scenarios

The following table outlines six scenarios for configuring your Smart Call Blocker. Default settings are shown for Scenario 3.

Diagram Descriptions for Scenarios:

Scenario 1: Screen all calls except welcome calls

Incoming calls from numbers not saved in your Directory, Allow list, or Star Name list are treated as Uncategorized calls. The Smart Call Blocker screens these calls. Welcome calls (from Directory or Allow list) bypass screening and ring directly.

Scenario 2: Screen no caller ID calls

Calls without a displayed phone number (No Caller ID) are screened. The system prompts the caller to announce their name and press ♯. The user then decides whether to answer, block, or send to voicemail. Other calls (Uncategorized) are allowed to ring.

Scenario 3: Block calls on the block list only (Default settings)

Calls from numbers on the Block list are rejected. All other calls, including those without Caller ID or uncategorized calls, are allowed to ring through.

Scenario 4: Screen and block robocalls

Robocalls and telemarketing calls are identified and blocked. Other call types are handled according to their category (e.g., No Caller ID, Uncategorized).

Scenario 5: Block no caller ID calls | Forward uncategorized calls to answering system

Calls without Caller ID are blocked. All other uncategorized calls are forwarded directly to the answering system.

Scenario 6: Allow all calls

The Smart Call Blocker is turned OFF. All incoming calls, regardless of origin or type, ring directly to the handset.

Turning On Call Screening

You are now ready to start using your telephone system with Smart Call Blocker.

To turn on call screening:

1. Press CALL BLOCK on the handset or telephone base.
2. Press CID or ADIR to choose Calls w/o num, then press SELECT.
3. Press CID or ADIR to choose Screening, then press SELECT.
4. Press SELECT again to select w/ Caller name.
5. Press CID or ADIR to choose Uncategorized, then press SELECT.
6. Press CID or ADIR to choose Screening, then press SELECT.
7. Press SELECT again to select w/ Caller name.

How to Unblock a Telephone Number

If you accidentally blocked a number or need to remove a number from the Block list:

1. Press CALL BLOCK on the handset or telephone base.
2. Press CID or ADIR to choose Block list, then press SELECT.
3. Press SELECT to choose Review, then press CID or ADIR to browse through the block entries.
4. When the desired entry displays, press DELETE. The screen will show "Delete entry?".
5. Press SELECT to confirm.