I remember that when you block, somoene can still leave you a creepy voicemail. I wanted to research this, and Verizon confirms, this is not a phone company controlled thing as I assumed but an Apple design flaw.

My verizon rep writes: (I asked her opinion"

"The service you are specifically using is through Apple's voicemail platform.

I personally believe if I block someone they should not get my voicemail it should provide some form of automated message. I hope that as Apple continues to progress with new software updates and phone changes they can implement something like that into their system."

WTF??? How can this been, can't get my head around this one thanks.

Do you know from current experience that a blocked phone number can leave a voicemail message?

That is not my experience and would be somewhat contrary to the whole concept of "block".

To the best of my knowledge and experience, if a call is blocked, it is blocked period. Once a blocked number is identified as blocked, it is simply disconnected.

In iOS 13.6 there is no opportunity for the blocked caller to leave a message creepy or otherwise neither does the caller get a message that their call was blocked. (But, there is an option in Settings > Phone to Silence unknown callers and another option to send a text message of your choice and composition to silenced, refused, or unanswered calls. So it would appear Apple has already responded to your request.)

However, it is possible for a spoofer to place a call from a blocked number, or even no number, and have it appear to your telephone as another number altogether. In other words the number that appears to be calling and you blocked has no relationship the actual number that made the call, and there may have never been actual telephone number.

While it is possible to identify some spoofed calls, that is a continual running battle and requires full time teams of developers as well as extensive networks to identify and record suspect sources, just to stay even. Which is why there is a market for third party call blocking software such as NoMoRobo and MalwareBytes and why those products require a subscription to finance keeping their software and lists of bad numbers and urls constantly up to date.

Many, perhaps most, of these spam calls are marketing legitimate major institutions like AARP, VISA, Mastercard, major insurance companies, etc. or at least companies that have contracted to market their products. So they are at least quasi-legitimate and carry enough influence with legislatures to prevent any laws against these practices with any real enforcement teeth. This is not going to change unless and until…

• there is universal agreement between almost all nations to solve the problem.
• there are enforceable international standards and controls
• the international telecommunications protocols are redesigned and rewritten to include security standards and a mechanism to enforce those standards and block non-compliant networks.
• the cost of violation is too significant to write off as a cost of doing business as usual.
• not likely to happen in our lifetime.

Ira/ Joe, I just had it confirmed from Verizon, that someone you block will hear your voicemail, and if they chose to leave creepy can do so! Isn't that something?


From Verizon:


Hello Kevs,

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

I was able to locate the following information. You can also review this information at Apple's website with the following link https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201229

When you block a phone number or contact, they can still leave a voicemail, but you won't get a notification. They will hear your standard voicemail greeting that you have setup.

Messages that are sent or received won't be delivered. Also, the contact won't get a notification that the call or message was blocked.

Apple does not let you set a specific ringer or message for blocked callers.


Regards,
Jane Z
Executive Relations
----------------------------


(then I ask her opinion if this nuts/ crazy -- reply:)
------------------------



Hello,


Thanks for your response.

The service you are specifically using is through Apple's voicemail platform.

I personally believe if I block someone they should not get my voicemail it should provide some form of automated message. I hope that as Apple continues to progress with new software updates and phone changes they can implement something like that into their system.


Regards,
Jane Z.
Executive Relations

Hmm. Who knew? I have never gotten a voicemail message from a blocked caller, but then maybe once the caller hears they went to voicemail they just hang up. Also, none of my blocked calls were non-commercial individuals; they were all junk calls.

Ira, if you have energy to test it with someone, let us know and report back!

Here is what Apple says will happen when you block on various apps:
*****
When someone is blocked in FaceTime, Messages or the Phone app, incoming calls will go directly to voicemail. They can even leave you a message that will silently show up in the Voicemail section of the Phone app, but hidden in a Blocked Messages section.

Messages or FaceTime calls won't show up on your Apple devices, and the person you blocked won't receive an alert or be any the wiser. They'll be left with the impression that you're ignoring them.

Blocking someone in the Mail app will result in their messages going to the trash folder for that respective email account.
*****
Notice that it says there is a hidden blocked voicemail section in the Phone app on the iPhone, so even though they leave a message, you don't ever have to see it.

Ira, thanks, well, I do see it there, that's why I posted.

Those have to cleared out every now and then.