Weekly App Finder: Block Spam Call Number Ranges on iPhone

We have all had issues with robocallers at some point. Be it debt collectors or unrequested salespeople, there are days when dozens of unsolicited calls reach our phones. And they all come from different numbers, so blocking one doesn’t work for the subsequent calls. There hasn’t been a way to block a range of numbers on your iPhone—until now.

Call Ranger: a Ranged Spam Numbers Blocker for Your iPhone

Call Ranger is one of the best uses of a double meaning I’ve seen in a while. As the name implies, it blocks ranges of spam call numbers. You could also say it acts like a ranger for your phone, keeping “intruders”—incoming spam calls—from reaching you.

You can add specific numbers, like that beauty salon that calls you twice a week to offer discounted haircuts. However, any number blocker—including the built-in iOS feature—can do this.

Many large call centers, however, purchase phone lines in lots. That means numbers from these companies are often sequential, or, at least, very similar. Therefore, blocking a range of numbers prevents them from calling you altogether.

Blocking Phone Numbers in iOS With Call Ranger

To block these, Call Ranger simply prevents all numbers with the same starting digits from reaching you. You can block number ranges up to 12 digits on your iPhone, though most times, less than that will do.

To put things in perspective, 12 digits are enough to block all calls nationwide from most countries. So, if you really hate French people, e.g., you can prevent all phone lines from France from ever calling you.

When you first open Call Ranger, it will ask a couple of permissions. First, it requests access to data usage, which is needed to sync your block list across devices via iCloud. Secondly, you’ll need to allow the app to manage call blocking. Here’s how to do that:

After doing that, it’s time to set up your blocking rules:

1. Go back to Call Ranger and tap Settings.
   
2. Make sure Block Calls is enabled.
   
3. Tap Set Up Your Blocking Rules, then tap the + icon in the top-right corner.
4. Enter the country code for the number (or range) you want to block. If you’re only blocking local calls, this will be your own country’s code.
   
5. After that, enter the phone number. You can add only part of a number to block a range. In this case, make sure to include at least one more digit than the range you want to block.
   
6. In the following screen, choose the range width. You can block from a single digit, up to 12.
   
7. In some cases, blocking rules will conflict. You may be trying to add a range already covered by a broader one you already submitted, for instance. There’s also the chance that you’re trying to add a range that includes a narrower one you already registered. In these cases, either remove or keep the old one.
   

A Note for iOS 18 Users

According to the app’s developer, Konstantinos Papadakis, Apple changed how third-party call blockers work in iOS 18. Because of that, ranges registered in Call Ranger will appear as missed calls, not as blocked numbers. That’s mostly an aesthetic change, however, and doesn’t change how the app works in practice.

Sounds like a tempting idea, right? You can download Call Ranger on the App Store. It’s a paid app, but, in my opinion, $4 is a more than fair price. I, for instance, will finally be able to take my phone out of Focus Mode during working hours.