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How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 12:18 am
by paul
Hi

I have a fairly long list of numbers that I've maintained as a blocklist on another phone, in another app.

I'd like to move the list to my Android phone with DW-ContactsPro.

It's easy & clear how to add one number that's in the History, for example.

How do I get this list -- available in either a text file, or CSV spreadsheet -- into DW-Contact's Blocklist?

Thanks!

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 7:51 am
by pollensa1946
Devin may have a better suggestion, but one way I have used...
In the page where you edit/add numbers to the Blocklist, alongside the field where you enter a number, is a small people icon which takes you to your Contact List where you can select a contact number for the Blocklist. Access this page either from the DWP Call Filter entry in the Notification Area of the phone or from DWP/Toolbox/Call Filter/Blocklist.
So import the list of numbers as Contacts (DWP/Toolbox/Import, my list was in CSV format), select each of them to be blocked and then delete those imported Contacts if no longer required. Worked for me.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 8:32 am
by pollensa1946
Suggestion to Devin...
This procedure would be made easier if there were a way of directly importing a CSV or VCF file list into Blocklist. If not already possible could this be added as a new feature?

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:35 pm
by paul
Couple of additional thoughts.

If import-list-to-Blocklist were to be implemented,

simple text format, one # per line, should be sufficient

It'd be useful to be able to import from

-- 'local' i.e., from file on phone
-- 'remote', e.g. a file/url on GDrive, DropBox, etc, or any specific URL pointing at a text file

The option to schedule regular pulls/updates of that file list would be helpful, too.

The use case? Multiple phones, multiple copies of DW-Contacts, pulling/retrieving a single, centrally managed/updated blocklist

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 3:11 pm
by devin
Hello
Sorry do not have a separate import feature. But setting ~ backup will be restored in all the data you can synchronize data in multiple phones.

A better approach is to create a contact that contains all the necessary interception numbers. Then add in the "Call Filter" in the rule is set to intercept the contact.
Contacts can be automatically synchronized across multiple phones.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 3:16 pm
by devin
pollensa1946 wrote:Suggestion to Devin...
This procedure would be made easier if there were a way of directly importing a CSV or VCF file list into Blocklist. If not already possible could this be added as a new feature?
Thank you pollensa1946
I would consider it.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 3:45 pm
by paul
devin wrote: ...
A better approach is to create a contact that contains all the necessary interception numbers. Then add in the "Call Filter" in the rule is set to intercept the contact.
...
That is doable.

It's not very convenient.

A list of to-be-blocked numbers is created-and-managed externally ... e.g., a regular download from a 3rd-part site. It's downloaded regularly onto either my website, my phone, etc. It's a text list.

Getting that list into "a" Contact, or "a" Blocklist in DW-Pro is what I'm addressing here.

Even if you do use the "Contact" approach, long-press on a History item brings up a context menu that includes:

* Add # to contact
* Add # to blocklist

Add # to blocklist is a single step.

Add # to contact requires that you open your contacts, and find the specific contact to add to ... i.e., multiple steps.

If that menu could be modified to include

* Add # to contact = <contactname>

that'd be convenient ... but then it has no particular advantage over Blocklist.

I'll raise my hand for the FeatureRequest.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:21 am
by pollensa1946
paul wrote:...A list of to-be-blocked numbers is created-and-managed externally ... e.g., a regular download from a 3rd-part site. It's downloaded regularly onto either my website, my phone, etc. It's a text list...
When I offered my suggestion I did not appreciate that you did this import on a regular basis. You must have one hell of a problem with nuisance calls to go to those lengths.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 1:35 pm
by paul
pollensa1946 wrote:When I offered my suggestion I did not appreciate that you did this import on a regular basis. You must have one hell of a problem with nuisance calls to go to those lengths.
Fwiw,

Across 20+ phones (small biz + personal), the _average_ per phone is ~4 nuisance calls/day, i.e. ~ 80/dy. It's a service business, with widely published tel #s that attract, apparently & unfortunately, nuisance calls.

Of those, ~4-5/dy are from new, previously unknown numbers -- i.e., the 'list' of nuisance #s grows by that amount daily.

After ~ 1/wk after the 1st appearance of a #, EVERY # on the list has been used on *at least* 25% of the phones, typically ~55%, and in some cases 100%.

I.e., a common, shared & bidirectionally updated list is highly useful. No different in concept than RBLs used by mail programs (e.g., spamhaus/barracuda) that also support private/custom lists.

My goal is to switch to all modern Android phones (not quite there yet) and standardize on a Phone/Contact app. DWP is mostly at the top of the list of contenders. If I can just get 'this' figured out ...

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:24 am
by pollensa1946
devin wrote:...A better approach is to create a contact that contains all the necessary interception numbers. Then add in the "Call Filter" in the rule is set to intercept the contact....
Good idea, I've now done that with all my blocklist numbers, created a single contact called "Scammer - Call Rejected" with an appropriate icon. Works very well. I suggest one small improvement. When you add the contact to the blocklist you get a pop-up of all the numbers in that contact and have to select each one. There can be lots! How about a selection or icon "Select All".

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 9:25 am
by pollensa1946
pollensa1946 wrote:
devin wrote:...A better approach is to create a contact that contains all the necessary interception numbers. Then add in the "Call Filter" in the rule is set to intercept the contact....
Good idea, I've now done that with all my blocklist numbers, created a single contact called "Scammer - Call Rejected" with an appropriate photo. Works very well. I suggest one small improvement. When you add the contact to the blocklist you get a pop-up of all the numbers in that contact and have to select each one. There can be lots! How about a selection or icon "Select All".

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 12:17 am
by devin
Hello
You can add a rule to block the contact, do not import numbers blacklist. I have added import and export blacklist.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 10:09 am
by pollensa1946
devin wrote:...You can add a rule to block the contact...
How do you do that? I cannot see it. The only way I can see is to put the contact into a GROUP then block that group.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 2:11 pm
by devin
Yes, there is a method in the contact details, press the Menu button. Select Send to voicemail.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:50 pm
by pollensa1946
devin wrote:...Select Send to voicemail.
But I don't want to send to voicemail, I want to reject calls to all of the numbers listed under the contact. The only way I can see to do that is....
1) Individually select all of the numbers listed under that contact. So my suggestion for a "Select All".
OR
2) Put the contact in a GROUP and bar that group.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 11:39 pm
by devin
But now DWC filter to intercept phone calls will be sent to voicemail. They work the same way.

Re: How to Import list of #s to Blocklist?

Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:40 am
by pollensa1946
Ah, OK, all clear now.