Call Insider vs T-Mobile Scam Shield

Call Insider is a free caller-identification service available on Android and the web. It helps people assess unknown phone numbers by showing ratings during calls or in a pop-up. The mobile app uses a database with more than 300 million identified numbers, drawing data from more than 100 websites. A downloadable database covering more than 100 countries supports lookups without an internet connection. Users can rate numbers, read other users’ ratings, see yearly interest in a number, and sometimes view a landline location. The service is intended for calls such as telemarketing, surveys, courier contacts, and office calls. Free registration provides fewer ads, editable rating history, reply notifications, more daily comments, and easier reporting of harmful comments. Call blocking for potentially harmful and unsaved numbers is described as in development. The service was created in the Czech Republic in 2011.

T-Mobile Scam Shield provides call, text, and web protections for customers on T-Mobile’s network. Incoming calls T-Mobile identifies as likely scams can be labeled Scam Likely, helping customers decide whether to answer or block them. Scam Block can automatically block those calls and can be disabled at any time. Included anti-spam protection covers SMS and MMS, while Safe Web Browsing helps block known malicious or dangerous sites on supported devices and experiences. Calling a number on the Scam Likely list triggers an audible warning through Callback Protection. Network protections work automatically without the app; customers can manage ScamShield in T-Life, turn on Scam Block by dialing #662#, or use My T-Mobile or the T-Mobile app. ScamShield is available for Android and iOS. The free plan is free at no extra cost for T-Mobile customers with qualifying service and a capable device. ScamShield Premium is $4 a month per line and adds categorized call types sent to voicemail, reverse number lookup, and automatic voicemail transcription by text.