Basically our app must be able to catch all calls to be able to detect the bad ones. This can be achieved only if we persuade your Android that it should pass us the necessary information about every calls. With the new Android Google rules, only the default phone apps might have access to phone calls and their handling. More specific situation comes with Android 10 devices and above - user can decide there, if replacing the default phone dialer (calling app) with some non-system one, or adding such protective app as default "CallerID & Spam detection" app - this is recommended for Android 10 users, please see below.
Should I Answer for Android provides 3 levels of protection - Active Protection, Passive Protection and No Protection.
Active Protection provides all security features including automatic blocking of unwanted calls. But due to the security reasons and new Google rules, only default phone application can block incoming or outgoing calls. If you want to use this type of protection, you must set our app as default phone app.
What should look strange to some users, this protection uses our custom incall screen by default with integrated security information (which you can chose in the Alert type selection) - if this screen is not convenient for you then just change the Alert type according to your needs - the app will still have the possibility to block calls, but will use your old standard system call screen, displaying our security info in some other way. This is usable also if your standard call screen uses some functions you were used to and which are not included in our call screen (like video calling, Google DUO implementation, calling some special numbers etc.) - if this is your case, please write us which functions you miss in our call screen. On some devices (mainly with Android 6) it might be not easy to change the default app for calling, if you have problems with this please contact us.
For more details please follow the Which alert type to choose? article.
Passive Protection provides very limited set of features without possibilities of automatic blocking of unwanted calls. With this settings the app needs to be running as foreground service with sticky notification and uses more system resources (it can be annoying for some users to constantly see the message in the status bar - that's the sticky notification). Passive Protection is available as fallback for users who can't use the Active Protection for any reason, the phone number security information during the call will be displayed in form of POP-UP or notification (according to selected alert type). When the app is set Passive Protection level, a system message "Monitoring is active" will be displayed in the notification area to notify user that our app is alive. Please be aware that when changing the settings from Active protection you must always select the appropriate Alert Type and confirm the changes with the button at the bottom of the screen - without this confirmation the changes will not be stored.
No Protection provides you with features just for manual check of calls from your call log (after the call) without enabling any kind of protection. It's good choice for starters - newbies to our service to explore the application features. Also you might need to use this protection type if you need to switch our app off for any reasons.
Don't be afraid to experiment and find out how each protection level works. You can change it anytime in the Protection Settings.
Android 10 and above users and "CallerID & Spam detection":
As written above, the best protection can be maintained only if the Android system is forced somehow to invoke our app for each call. This can be maintained by two means only - by setting the app to be the default PHONE app, or by setting it as default CallerID and spam detection app. Both will work, both settings will tell your Android to invoke the app anytime when needed and no call should pass unattended then (and it's not necessary to set our app to both locations, just one will do).
If you want our app to block and filter the calls for you, for users with Android 10 and above devices you should decide to have your system dialer still as a default phone app, but to add our app as CallerID&spam detection. If setting the ACTIVE protection in our app, new message should be displayed firstly to set our app as Caller ID - if you select this option, the app will be added as default app for Caller ID & spam detection. Then just select the appropriate Alert type and confirm it on the same screen (please never forget to confirm the changes in app settings by navigating back to our app and pressing the "CONFIRM CHANGES" button there, if navigated from this screen to confirm some core Android options). With this settings the app will cooperate with your system dialer, using it for displaying all calls and using its advantages.
You can also change this setting manually - for most manufacturers, the same system screen where you are able to change the default system dialing (phone) app is also the screen where you can change the default "Caller ID & spam detection". For most phones the position of this dialogue will be located in Android system SETTINGS - list of all Apps - Default apps. Please inspect your Android system to find this option, the location might be different a bit depending on the enhancements pre-installed by your manufacturer.
Please be aware that the Android system settings previously granted to some non-default (non-system) app can be sometimes revoked e.g. by some aggressive Android update - this happens mostly on some Chinese phones. If our app is not protecting you all of the sudden, if some bad calls are not blocked, please check the Protection level settings first, then the system Android settings for default phone app or CallerID and spam detection.