Call Master (Customized, schedule-based settings for incoming calls and texts for individual contacts & groups)
If there is one Android app that offers comprehensive control to the users for all their incoming texts and calls, then Call Master has to be it. Call Master, currently in open beta, provides fully customizable screening options for your texts as well as calls and lets you put a lid on all unwanted content in such a way that you’d never even know that a ‘blacklisted’ number ever tried to contact you. That’s not all; you can pick from a wide pool of blocking/notification actions for selected content with customized vibration and LED settings, auto-reply to a caller with a custom SMS, indulge in Private conversation without anything being recorded in the logs and much, much more. For each call that you wish to block, the app can reject/ignore it altogether, hang up the call after answering it or simply allow it to be silently recorded in the call logs without any kind of ring or notification. Text messages can also be allowed or blocked in the same manner. In-depth privacy settings, password-protected access to the app, scheduled profile switching and the option to tweak every single facet to the very core are some of the other strengths of Call Master. Read on further details.
As of now, Call Master works only with rooted devices. If you don’t already have root access on your device, you might want to check out our detailed guide to rooting your Android device.
The app’s interface borrows quite a few elements from the Ice Cream Sandwich UI. The Add button on the app’s homescreen can be used to select contacts that you wish to be added to a list or a profile, the Log button displays all your system call/text logs and the app’s native logs (including text messages).
The scheduled profile switching option of Call Master (Schedules > Enable scheduling) lets you add multiple Schedule rules, each with its own specific profile settings, start/end time and the option to pick days of the week for which scheduled settings would automatically be activated. For instance, you can silent all incoming calls between 11pm to 5am on a daily basis or reject incoming texts from your colleagues during the weekend.
Now for the core components of the app; Profiles and Lists. While you may opt to pick from any pre-defined profile settings to screen/filter content accordingly, the app also lets you create and specify custom profile settings with user-defined actions and contact lists. You can add one or more contact numbers and assign specific call/text filtering rules to each list. The best part is that you may interchangeably implement different list settings on different profiles and vice versa.
Continuing with the long list of features that Call Master supports, users have the choice to specify contacts (and even whole groups) which they wish to be ‘screened’. There’s also an option to add numbers using wildcard characters (* & #) to filter various entries such as numbers that contain a specific area dialing code (e.g #17*, 0315#####) or a string of digits etc. Similarly, you may add all contacts listed in your address book or the ones that are displayed as ‘Private’. Just pick a contact, a bunch of contacts or an entire group, and add them to a list or profile, each with its own screening/firewall options. Additionally, you may assign a specific name to the selected group.
From the settings screen, you may toggle the app’s background service as well as the scheduling option, tweak display, privacy and template settings, backup/restore app’s data and tweak various privacy settings. From within Privacy settings, you can enable password protection for the app, change its app drawer and notification bar icon and/or hide both completely. Under the template settings, you may define/edit list of action groups, modify app’s notification settings and add custom auto-repy SMS templates.
The Backup/Restore data options on this screen let you easily make backup of all the app’s settings so that you can easily import your customized settings upon installing the app afresh or using it on another device.
Since the app is packed with plenty of options, it is fortunate that it provides a detailed guide on each of its features. The guide for each feature can be accessed by tapping the question mark icon on its screen.
Call Master is available on the Android Market for free. Download the app from the Market link or QR code provided below.
