Call Blocker Gold

Platform: Android

RATING:
5 out of 5

PRICE:
FREE (or $1.98/Silver License or $4.99/Gold License)

TASTY:
Take control of your DROID to better manage both incoming and outgoing calls and messages.

BUMMER:
All of the app’s features should be part of the stock Android OS. Yes, it’s that good!

COOL:
Easily set up groups of contacts, then control how and when they may contact you. (Block work calls on weekends, block friends from calling during work hours, and allow your family to contact you anytime.)

Read all of my past Android app reviews at Appolicious and Yahoo! Tech -- click here.

REVIEW:
It wasn’t until I’d spent some serious time with Call Blocker Gold before I realized its genius. Until now, my DROID worked just like my home and office lines, accepting any and all incoming calls 24/7/365.

Blocking specific numbers from calling your landline is a hassle, and I’ve run to answer robocalls and other unwanted calls far too often in recent months.

Similarly, incoming junk SMS and unwanted calls on my DROID during specific hours of the day have been wearing my nerves thin. But those days are behind me. Call Blocker Gold gives you, for the first time, total control over how and when you wish to receive messages and calls from your contacts. And you can easily block incoming calls and SMS, restrict outgoing calls, and more.

First up, I created two contact groups – one for family and friends, and a second for my work contacts.

When setting up each group, I could choose to also block SMS, and add an auto-reply message (think: Buzz off, I’m working! Call me after 6!)

Then I applied time and date parameters to each group, allowing my work contacts to reach me during the week between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., my friends to call me between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., and my family and friends to call me anytime. I added other allows for specific weekend hours as well for each group.

The app also allows me to block all unknown callers and SMS sources during business hours, store and search all old SMS, restrict outgoing calls based on contact and time, add password protection, and more.

If you want to get really crazy, you can block all incoming calls if they’re coming from people not on your contact list. (Use with caution!) You may also add rules to specific contacts so they can always reach you, never reach you, get a custom SMS reply if they try to message you, etc.

After getting everything set up, I realized just how lacking my stock DROID was without these features. Google, buy this app and integrate it into an upcoming release. It would greatly enhance our phones and provide one very compelling differentiator vs. the iPhone.

A must-have for anyone who wants to control incoming and outgoing communications coming to and from their DROID!