SCB - Screening calls

Screen calls without numbers

If Smart call blocker is on, and your telephone is set to screen calls without number, the telephone will not ring when receiving incoming calls that are “out of area“ or with numbers set to “Private“. It plays a screening announcement to the caller and asks the caller to respond before putting the call through to you.

The telephone has two screening options. You can set your Smart call blocker to screen these calls by asking the callers to record their names and then press the pound key (#). Alternatively, you can screen these calls by only asking the callers to press the pound key (#). See Screening announcements.

NOTES

  • The telephone announces to the caller with “Hello. Calls to this number are being screened by Smart call blocker...” If you have recorded your name in the screening announcements, your recorded name will replace “this number” in the announcements. See Screening announcements.

  • If the caller hangs up before the call is screened, or without leaving his/her name while the call is being screened, the call will be logged as missed call in the caller ID log.

  • While a call is being screened, you can press TALK/FLASH or Speaker key on the cordless handset to stop screening and answer the call.

  • When the telephone rings and announces the caller’s name after screening a call, you can press OFF/CANCEL to silence the ringer. You can also press CALL BLOCK on the cordless handset or telephone base to reject the call directly, and the caller’s number will be added to the block list.

  • If you pick up a screened call, the telephone then announces the screening options. You can press OFF/CANCEL on the cordless handset to hang up the call. The caller’s number will not be added to the block list.

  • If you receive a call waiting call without number while on a call, Smart call blocker will not screen the new call. You can press TALK/FLASH or Speaker key on the cordless handset to take the new call.

  • Robocalls are unable to respond to the screening announcement, and therefore, will not get through and ring. If you want to allow some robocalls to get through, save their names in the star name list. See Add a star name list entry.

  • The telephone can respond to remote access code while it is playing the screening announcement. This allows you to access your answering system from an unknown number remotely. See Remote access.

Options for screened calls without numbers

  1. When the telephone starts ringing, and the screen displays Screened call, press TALK/FLASH or Speaker key on the cordless handset or lift the corded handset on the telephone base to pick up the call. If you have turned on the caller ID announce feature, the telephone announces “You have a call from...” and the caller’s name.

  2. After you pick up the call, the telephone announces “To answer the call, press 1. To send this call to the answering system, press 4. To repeat these options, press *”.

Answer a screened call once only:

  • Press 1 on the handset or telephone base to answer the call. The telephone number will not be added to your allow list.

Forward a screened call to the answering system:

  • Press 4 on the handset or telephone base to to forward the call to the answering system.

    • NOTE

    • The caller is sent to the answering system and can leave a message even if the answering system is off.

End a screened call:

  • If you do not want to take the call, press OFF/CANCEL on the cordless handset to end the call.

Screen uncategorized calls

If Smart call blocker is on, and your telephone is set to screen uncategorized calls, the telephone will not ring when receiving the following incoming calls:

  • Incoming calls with absent caller ID numbers; or

  • Incoming calls with numbers that are not in your phonebook, allow list, nor block list; or

  • Incoming calls with names that are not in your star name list.

The telephone plays a screening announcement to the caller and asks the caller to respond before putting the call through to you. The telephone has two screening options. You can set your Smart call blocker to screen these calls by asking the callers to record their names and then press the pound key (#). Alternatively, you can screen these calls by only asking the callers to press the pound key (#). See Screening announcements.

NOTES

  • You can set Smart call blocker to screens and filters all uncategorized calls from numbers or names that are not yet saved in your phonebook, allow list, block list, or star name list. You can easily add incoming phone numbers to your allow list and block list. This allows you to build up your lists of allowed and blocked numbers, and Smart call blocker will know how to deal with these calls when they come in again.

  • The telephone announces to the caller with “Hello. Calls to this number are being screened by Smart call blocker...” If you have recorded your name in the screening announcements, your recorded name will replace “this number” in the announcements. See Screening announcements.

  • If the caller hangs up before the call is screened, or without leaving his/her name while the call is being screened, the call will be logged as missed call in the caller ID log.

  • While a call is being screened, you can press TALK/FLASH or Speaker key on the cordless handset to stop screening and answer the call.

  • When the telephone rings and announces the caller’s name after screening a call, you can press OFF/CANCEL to silence the ringer. You can also press CALL BLOCK on the cordless handset or telephone base to reject the call directly, and the caller’s number will be added to the block list.

  • If you pick up a screened call, the telephone then announces the screening options. You can press OFF/CANCEL on the cordless handset to hang up the call. The caller’s number will not be added to the block list.

  • If the Smart call blocker feature is on and in screening mode, and you receive a call waiting call:

    • If you have already picked up a screened call, the telephone checks whether the call waiting call’s number can be found in the phonebook, block list or allow list. It also checks whether the caller name is in the star name list. After that, the telephone displays the caller ID information or Blocked call accordingly. You can press TALK/FLASH or Speaker key on the cordless handset to take the new call.

    • If the telephone is screening a call, the call waiting call will be ignored and logged as missed call in the caller ID log.

  • Robocalls are unable to respond to the screening announcement, and therefore, will not get through and ring. If you want to allow some robocalls to get through, save their names in the star name list. See Add a star name list entry.

  • The telephone can respond to remote access code while it is playing the screening announcement. This allows you to access your answering system from an unknown number remotely. See Remote access.

Options for screened uncategorized calls

  1. When the telephone starts ringing, and the screen displays Screened call, press TALK/FLASH or Speaker key on the cordless handset or lift the corded handset to pick up the call. If you have turned on the caller ID announce feature, the telephone announces “You have a call from...” and the caller’s name.

  2. After you pick up the call, the telephone announces “To answer the call, press 1. To answer and always allow this number, press 2. To block this number, press 3. To send this call to the answering system, press 4. To repeat these options, press * ”.

Answer a screened call once only:

  • Press 1 on the handset or telephone base to answer the call. The telephone number will not be added to your allow list.

Answer and always allow a screened call:

  • Press 2 on the handset or telephone base to answer the call. The telephone number will be added to your allow list.

Block a screened call:

  • Press 3 or CALL BLOCK on the cordless handset or telephone base to block the call. The telephone plays the block announcement “The number you are calling is not accepting your call. Please hang up.” to the caller. The telephone number will be added to your block list.

Forward a screened call to the answering system:

  • Press 4 on the cordless handset or telephone base to forward the call to the answering system.

    • NOTE

    • The caller is sent to the answering system and can leave a message even if the answering system is off.

End a screened call:

  • If you do not want to take the call, press OFF/CANCEL on the cordless handset to end the call.

Option while on a screened call

When you are on a call and speaking to the caller, and you do not want to continue the call, you can end the call with block announcement and add the number to the block list.

Press CALL BLOCK on the handset or the telephone base to end the call. The telephone plays the block announcement “The number you are calling is not accepting your call. Please hang up.” to the caller, and the call will be terminated. The caller’s number will be added to your block list.

  • Press CALL BLOCK. The handset screen displays Block and end? and the caller’s number, if available. Press MENU/SELECT to end the call.

NOTES

  • The caller’s number, if available, will be saved to the block list. The screen displays Added to block list after pressing CALL BLOCK, then press MENU/SELECT. If caller’s number is not available, the screen displays No number available to block.

  • You can press CALL BLOCK to end the call even if Smart call blocker is turned off.