HOW TO: Use a Silent Ringtone to Block Unwanted iPhone Callers

Is the same annoying telemarketer calling your iPhone ten times a day? Don’t you wish there was a way you could just stop them from calling you?

Well, depending on how you want to tackle this problem, there are a few solutions available to you.

1) You could always jailbreak your iPhone (not recommended). If you do, you can then download the iBlacklist app which does just what it says…it prevents certain phone numbers from being able to call you. Of course, jailbreaking is NOT sanctioned by Apple, and every time you update your OS, you will have to re-jailbreak your phone. Personally, I find this option to be too risky.

2) You can try AT&T Smart Controls.  This is mainly a sort of “parental controls” feature that AT&T offers, but it does let you block certain, incoming phone calls and text messages from up to six blacklisted phone numbers you specify.  AT&T Smart Controls costs $4.99 per month, so if you don’t mind a paid solution, this might work for you.

3) My favorite option, though, is to assign those pesky telemarketers a silent ringtone.  Here’s what you’ll need to do.

1. First, you’ll need to download the silent ringtone here and save it into your iTunes folder on your computer.
2. Now, open up iTunes, click -> “File” -> “Add File to Library”, and select the silent ringtone you just downloaded.
3. The silent ringtone should now appear in the “Ringtones” folder in iTunes.
4. Now, sync your iPhone with iTunes to copy the silent ringtone to your phone.
5. Create a contact on your phone called “Block” or “Ignore” and add all the phone numbers you want to block.
6. Set the ringtone for this contact to your new, silent ringtone.

Presto!  Your phone will now ring silently when any of those pesky callers try to reach you (your phone will still vibrate if you have that feature activated).

While this doesn’t technically “block” the call, it does give you a little peace and quiet as well as the ability to ignore those pesky telemarketers…for free!

Related articles

• How do I put a ringtone onto my iPhone 4? (grand-alliance.com)
• iPhone tip: Use a Silent Ringtone to Screen Calls in Your Sleep | Richard K Miller (richardkmiller.com)