Question 1

Why do received photos and videos look blurry or fuzzy?

Accepted Answer

Pictures and videos texted to you arrive over MMS, which carriers automatically compress to fit small size limits — the resolution is reduced before your phone ever receives the file, and the original quality cannot be restored on this end. Call Vault displays the media at the exact quality it arrives, with no extra compression on our side. Full-resolution photos and videos are sent over RCS (the newer "Chat" standard that sends over data instead of MMS), but RCS is controlled by Google and has no public interface for third-party apps — so any default texting app other than Google Messages or your carrier's own app receives media as compressed MMS. This is a limitation of the MMS standard itself, not a Call Vault setting, and Google Messages shows the same reduced quality whenever it falls back to MMS. This is normal for any non-Google texting app. Being your default texting app is what lets Call Vault filter spam texts, so if full-quality media matters more to you than text-spam filtering, you can switch your default texting app back to Google Messages in Android Settings → Apps → Default apps — you will keep call-spam blocking either way.

Question 2

How does Call Vault block spam calls and texts?

Accepted Answer

Call Vault uses Android's built-in Call Screening Service and SMS filtering — the same system that powers Google's spam detection. All blocking logic runs entirely on your device. Your call history, contacts, and block list never leave your phone. The only network activity is billing verification through Google Play (when you have an active Premium subscription) and optional background refreshes of the Spam Shield Database (checked every couple of days over Wi-Fi; the database itself is rebuilt weekly).

Question 3

Does the app need to be open to block calls?

Accepted Answer

No. Call Vault runs a background service that stays active even when the app is closed. As long as the necessary permissions are enabled, it will silently block calls and texts 24/7.

Question 4

Will blocked callers know they have been blocked?

Accepted Answer

Blocked calls are silently dropped before your phone rings — the caller hears nothing unusual (or the Blocked Call Tone if you have enabled that setting in Premium). For texts it depends on one setting: if Call Vault is your default texting app, a blocked text never reaches your inbox and nothing notifies you. If it is not, your usual texting app still receives the message and may show its own notification — Call Vault flags the sender and files the message in its Spam tab, and on Android it can also dismiss that notification if you grant Notification Access in Settings.

Question 5

How does the subscription work?

Accepted Answer

Call Vault Premium is a subscription billed through Google Play — either monthly ($3.99/mo) or annually ($24.99/yr, which works out to $2.08/mo). Your subscription renews automatically until you cancel. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time directly in the Google Play Store under your account subscriptions.

Question 6

What is the difference between Free and Premium?

Accepted Answer

Free includes unlimited number blocking for calls and texts, all 4 protection modes, a full call log, Smart Caller ID (number, carrier, area, and spam-risk overlay for unknown callers), the Blocked tab in Messages (see and reply to spam — free, just like your normal phone), full texting when Call Vault is your default SMS app, Ghost Escape (fake call or text), My Notes (private thread), PIN lock with AES-256 encryption at rest, biometric unlock, and backup & restore — forever free, no credit card needed. Premium unlocks reading and replying to blocked messages from people you actually know (Call Vault automatically separates people you know from junk), plus: full spam-text filtering (Spam Management), keyword blocking, area code blocking, schedule blocking, private icon, scam category labels on the Smart Caller ID overlay, full messaging suite (SMS, MMS, GIFs via GIPHY, video, PDF attachments, emoji reactions, starred messages, scheduled send, contact search, draft saving, bubble colors, media gallery), per-conversation PIN lock, enhanced stats, Robodialer Trap, Guardian Mode, Duress PIN, Trusted Contact alerts, Evidence Pack, and more.

Question 7

Is my call and text data sent to any server?

Accepted Answer

Your call logs, contacts, and block list are never transmitted to us or any third party. The only network activity is: (1) subscription verification for Premium subscribers, (2) weekly Spam Shield Database updates downloaded to your device, and (3) anonymous community spam reports — automatically when you manually block a non-contact number (on by default, opt-out in Settings → Privacy & Data → Community Protection), or manually via the flag icon. Only phone number digits are ever reported — no call history, message content, contacts, or device ID.

Question 8

What is the Duress PIN? (Premium)

Accepted Answer

Duress PIN is an alternate PIN you set for high-pressure situations. If someone forces you to unlock the app, you enter the Duress PIN instead of your real one — it opens the app but shows a completely empty history and block list, with no indication that anything is hidden. Your real data remains intact and returns when you unlock with your real PIN.

Question 9

What is Private Icon? (Premium)

Accepted Answer

Private Icon changes your home screen icon and name for privacy. Choose a Calculator or Notes style icon — useful on shared devices. Tap the icon and enter your PIN to open Call Vault normally.

Question 10

What is Ghost Escape?

Accepted Answer

Ghost Escape lets you schedule a fake incoming call or a fake text on a delay, with a sender name (and message, for text) you choose. If you need a convincing excuse to leave a situation — a meeting, a bad date, an uncomfortable conversation — set a delay and your phone will ring, or a text will arrive, as if it were real. Find it under the Emergency Escape section of the Calls tab.

Question 11

What is Smart Caller ID?

Accepted Answer

Smart Caller ID shows an overlay right on your call screen when an unknown, non-contact number calls — the number, carrier name (when your carrier provides it), location, how many times they have called you, and a spam-risk tag, so you can decide whether to answer before you pick up. It runs entirely on your device: there is no name-lookup database, nothing about the call is sent anywhere, and it never guesses a caller's identity. Known spam numbers are still auto-blocked as usual. Requires the one-time "Display over other apps" permission. Android only.

Question 12

How do I enter an international number to block?

Accepted Answer

Enter international numbers in E.164 format: a plus sign followed by the country code and the full number, with no spaces. For example, a UK number would be +447911123456 and a Mexican number would be +525512345678. Call Vault's matching engine uses suffix matching, so +447911123456 will correctly match any incoming call from that number regardless of how your carrier formats it.

Question 13

Blocked texts are still appearing in Google Messages — how do I fix this?

Accepted Answer

This is an Android limitation: only the default SMS app can prevent texts from being stored by other apps. When Call Vault is not your default SMS app, it still intercepts and logs blocked texts in the Blocked tab, but the system may also silently deliver them to Google Messages. To fully suppress blocked texts from all apps, set Call Vault as your default SMS app — tap the banner in the Messages tab, or go to Settings → Protection Status and tap "Enable Complete SMS Blocking." You can switch your default SMS app back to Google Messages at any time in Android Settings → Apps → Default apps.

Question 14

Spam calls are still getting through — what should I check?

Accepted Answer

First, check the Protection Status card at the top of the Settings tab. If Call Screening or the phone permission shows as inactive, tap it to re-enable it. Second, make sure the Protection Mode is set to "All" or "Calls" — not "Texts." Third, if the number calling you is not on your block list and is not from a blocked area code, add it manually or enable "Block Unknown Callers" if the calls come from private/restricted numbers.

Question 15

Can I block a range of numbers at once using a pattern? (Premium)

Accepted Answer

Yes — this is a Premium feature. When adding a number, tap "Number Pattern" in the segmented picker at the bottom of the form. Use * to match any sequence of digits and x (or X) to match a single digit. For example: 1800* blocks all 1-800 numbers, 212* blocks all calls starting with 212, and 555xxxx blocks any 7-digit number starting with 555. Patterns must have at least 7 characters to prevent accidental over-blocking. Upgrade to Premium to unlock Number Patterns.

Question 16

What is Evidence Pack? (Premium)

Accepted Answer

Evidence Pack generates a complete harassment documentation report with one tap. It compiles every call and text from a specific number — with timestamps, block reasons, and message content — into a formatted report ready to share with law enforcement, HR, or legal counsel. Open any blocked call or SMS conversation and tap "Evidence Pack" to generate and export the report.

Question 17

What is Community Reporting?

Accepted Answer

Community Reporting lets you manually flag a spam number for the Call Vault community database. Tap the flag icon (Report to Community) in any blocked call or SMS conversation, select a category (robocall, scam, telemarketer, etc.), and optionally add a short note. Numbers that receive 3 or more independent reports are added to the Spam Shield Database for all users. Reports are anonymous — no call history, message content, contacts, or device identifiers are included. Only the phone number and the category you selected are submitted.

Question 18

How do I qualify for the free month?

Accepted Answer

To claim your 1 free month, start the Founder's Access subscription on the annual plan ($24.99/yr) — the free period is annual-only; Monthly is available at full price with the standard 14-day free trial every install gets. Google Play requires a payment method on file to start any subscription, so you will add one, but nothing is charged during the 1-month promotional period. Billing begins only after that period ends. You can cancel any time from your Google Play subscriptions: you keep Premium for the rest of the free period and you are not charged when it ends. Cancelling does close the offer for good, though — Founder's Access cannot be restarted or claimed again later, so resubscribing after that is at standard pricing. Founders also get a permanent price promise: your rate won't go up as long as your subscription stays active (see our Terms for what that does and doesn't cover). The free plan is separate and never asks for a card: either way, Call Vault keeps blocking spam calls and texts on the free tier, forever.

Frequently Asked Questions

How It Works

Blocking Numbers

Setup & Settings

Pricing & Billing

Privacy & Security

Features

Troubleshooting