Introduction

Call screening is what PhoneShield does: it puts a front desk in front of your phone so that scam calls never ring you, the people you care about always do, and everyone else is sorted by what they say. This guide explains how it works and how to set it up.

What is Call Screening?

Your phone forwards to a PhoneShield number. Known scam numbers are refused before the call is even answered. Favorites ring you at once. Everyone else meets the front desk, a pre-rendered voice that asks who they are and why they are calling. A small model classifies the answer, and your screening mode decides what happens next.

How It Works

  1. A call to your number is forwarded to PhoneShield
  2. Known scam numbers are refused before answering, at no cost
  3. Favorites ring you straight through, with their name on the screen
  4. Everyone else meets the front desk and says who they are and why
  5. A small model classifies the intent, and your mode decides what happens next

Benefits

  • Scam and spam calls never ring you
  • You know who it is before you pick up
  • Callers you did not take leave a message you can act on
  • Your number stays the same; nobody has to learn a new one
  • Fewer interruptions through the day

Screening Modes

Blocking and favorites work the same in every mode. The mode decides what happens to everyone else:

Open

The front desk vets the caller, then rings the PhoneShield app like any phone call, with the caller's name on the screen. If you do not answer, PhoneShield takes a message instead.

  • Vetted calls ring the PhoneShield app on your iPhone
  • The caller's name is on the screen before you accept
  • Missed calls become messages in PhoneShield, not on your phone
  • No iPhone? They can ring a private line instead, with a whisper naming the caller
Best for: normal days when you want to take calls

Do not disturb

Nothing rings you except favorites. Everyone else is asked what it is about and a transcribed message is taken; obvious spam is politely declined.

  • Favorites still ring straight through
  • Other callers leave a message you read later
  • Messages are delivered to your channels as they come in
Best for: deep work, meetings, evenings, holidays

Receptionist

Your assistant, Nora by default, answers. She speaks first, already knows why the caller said they were calling, and can connect them to you, answer from her knowledge, save a structured message, or flag spam and hang up after the goodbye.

  • Real conversation, with your instructions and knowledge
  • Connects the caller to you when it is worth it
  • Saves a message with name, callback number and what they need
Best for: a business line, or anyone who wants a real front desk

Setting Up Call Screening

Everything lives on the Shield settings page:

  1. Choose a mode

    Open, Do not disturb, or Receptionist.

  2. Install the PhoneShield app and sign in

    Vetted calls ring the app. Without an iPhone, set and verify a private line on Shield settings instead.

  3. Forward the phone people call, and test it

    Dial the carrier code shown on the page, then use “Test that forwarding is on” for a loop-back call.

  4. Name your assistant and pick a voice

    Nora by default; the voices are Marin and Cedar.

  5. Write the greeting and the message prompt

    What callers hear first, and what they hear when a message is being taken.

  6. Save

    Changes apply to the next call.

Favorites, Block Lists and Reports

Favorites

The people who always get through:

  • Ring you straight through, skipping the front desk
  • Their name is on the screen before you accept
  • Work the same in every mode, including Do not disturb

Contacts

Names for numbers you know:

  • Call history and messages show the name, not just the number
  • The call screen and your assistant use it
  • Contacts still meet the front desk unless they are favorites

Block lists

Numbers refused before answering, at no cost:

  • Your own block list
  • The shared block list, built from confident scam verdicts and customer reports, with the reason shown
  • Numbers with repeated FTC Do Not Call complaints in the last 30 days
  • “Allow for me” lets a shared-list number through for your account only

Report a number

When a scam reaches the front desk anyway:

  • Report it from Shield settings or the call’s detail
  • Choose the reason
  • The number joins the shared block list for everyone

More on how the lists are built in How the shared block list works.

Outcomes, Notifications and Analytics

Everything the front desk does is written down:

Call History

Every call, with its outcome and the reason:

  • BLOCKED: refused before answering (your list, the shared list, or FTC complaints)
  • SHIELDED: met the front desk and was declined
  • RANG YOU: rang you in the app (or on your private line)
  • MESSAGE: a transcribed message was taken
  • ASSISTANT: your assistant handled the call

Call Details

Open a call to see:

  • What the caller said at the front desk and the classified intent
  • The transcript or the assistant conversation
  • FTC Do Not Call complaint counts for the number
  • A “Prepare FTC complaint” button, and a CSV export that prepares complaints in bulk
  • Block or report the number from here

Notifications

Messages and assistant calls are delivered to the channels you connect:

The Analytics page shows outcomes per day, so you can see how much never reached you.

Best Practices for Call Screening

Start in Open mode

If you are new to PhoneShield, start in Open mode to see how the front desk sorts calls. Switch to Do not disturb or Receptionist once you trust it.

Write clear instructions

Tell your assistant, in her AI profile, how to treat callers and what to collect. Specific beats long.

Keep Favorites current

Family, your doctor, the school, your best customers. Favorites ring you straight through in every mode.

Report what gets through

If a scam reaches the front desk, report the number. It goes on the shared block list and is refused for everyone from then on.