x13a
Repeated calls settings are confusing
I have not experimented with the "Repeated" calls control, but it is unclear whether it means "block all calls after the Nth" (a rate limit) or "allow the Nth call from a number that would otherwise be blocked" (a bypass for people who really want to contact you; I have only very rarely seen a spammer do this). I am further confused by the Timeout setting on the same screen. Does it do something other than repeated/count?
I suggest a Mad Lib, where the fields are embedded in the text, either: "Allow no more than N calls from the same number in X minutes", or "Allow the Nth call from the same number in X minutes, if it would otherwise be blocked"
The interaction of the toggle switch with the detailed configuration is also unclear. Is it possible that this should be split into two functions, "rate limit", and "allow persistent callers", each with their own toggle switch?
I understand the blurb about Android caching to mean that Android caches the block/allow decision. Is it possible that the duration of this cache could be discovered, such that the UI could disallow settings that won't behave as intended?
When the app was made, the goal was to block all, but allow something. All filter were to allow something. Now we have global block to bypass all filters, regex block and per sim block. Repeated is only at allow scope. There is no rate limit in the app.
Timeout is a minimal time between calls the app will count. If you set it for example to 100 seconds the app will count calls only that have at least 100 seconds timestamp diff. It won't count calls that were made more rapidly.
duration of this cache could be discovered
When I experimented with this some years ago it was something like 60s. I don't know what it is now.
Mmm, so Android's caching is effectively a minimum on the timeout. And if I read correctly count 2 means "allow the 2nd call".
Based on my experience with spam calls before I installed Silence, and my new understanding of what these parameters do (thanks!), I just set it to count=2, minimum=10080 (1 week). The idea being to catch reminder notifications and actual humans trying again later.