ShieldDial – Frequently Asked Questions

1. Install ShieldDial from Google Play. 2. Grant the Call Screening role when prompted. 3. Complete onboarding to grant required permissions and DND access. 4. Verify your phone number. 5. Create your first rule or add contacts to your allowlist. 6. ShieldDial will then automatically screen incoming calls based on your settings.

The Call Screening role allows ShieldDial to intercept and screen incoming calls before they reach you. This is required for ShieldDial to function correctly. You’ll be prompted to set this up during onboarding, or you can enable it later in Android Settings under default Call Screening apps.

Yes. Phone number verification is required to start a free trial and manage subscriptions. It also helps prevent trial abuse. Your number is stored securely and used only for account management and trial/subscription tracking.

1. Open the app and go to Rules from the main menu. 2. Tap the + button to create a new rule. 3. Enter a pattern (for example, 555* to block all numbers starting with 555). 4. Choose the action: Block, Allow, Allow Always, Allow with Conditions, or Silence. 5. Optionally link call conditions (time-based, location-based, etc.) for advanced rules. 6. Save the rule. It will be active immediately.

You can use several pattern types: - Wildcards: Use * to match any characters (e.g. 555* matches 555‑1234, 555‑9999). - Prefixes: Match the beginning of numbers (e.g. +1800). - Suffixes: Match the end of numbers (e.g. *1234). - Regular expressions: Advanced pattern matching for complex rules. - Country codes: Block entire country codes. - Exact match: Enter the full phone number.

- Block: Completely blocks the call – it won’t ring and goes straight to voicemail. - Allow: Allows the call through, but may still be affected by other rules or conditions. - Allow Always: Always allows the call through, even in Silent Mode or if other blocking rules match. - Allow with Conditions: Allows the call only if specific conditions (time, location, etc.) are met. - Silence: The call rings but is silenced (no sound or vibration).

Contacts and numbers in your Allowlist will always be allowed through, regardless of your rules. This is useful for important contacts like family, doctors, or work numbers. You can add entries from the Allowlist screen or link contacts to rules.

Call Conditions let you create time‑based, location‑based, or frequency‑based rules. For example, you can: - Block calls only during certain hours (e.g. at night). - Allow a number only if they haven’t called more than 3 times today. You link conditions to rules from the Rules screen to create advanced filtering logic.

Routines automatically change your ShieldDial status based on a schedule. For example, you can create a Sleep routine that switches to Silent Mode every night at 10 PM and back to Active Mode at 6 AM so you don’t have to change modes manually.

1. Go to Routines from the main menu. 2. Tap the + button to create a new routine. 3. Enter a name (e.g. “Sleep”, “Work”, “Weekend”). 4. Select the target status (Silent Mode, Active, Contacts Only, etc.). 5. Choose which days of the week the routine should run. 6. Set the start and end times. 7. Optionally enable “Revert to Previous” to restore your previous status when the routine ends. 8. Save the routine. It will run automatically based on your schedule.

Yes. You can create multiple routines for different schedules (e.g. Sleep, Work, Weekend). If routines overlap, the one with higher priority will take precedence.

If Revert to Previous is enabled, ShieldDial restores the status you had before the routine started. If it’s disabled, the status stays at the routine’s target status until you manually change it or another routine activates.

On first run, ShieldDial automatically starts your free trial if you’re eligible. If you need to start it manually: 1. Go to Subscription from the main menu. 2. Tap Start Free Trial if you’re eligible. 3. Confirm the trial start. 4. Your 30‑day trial begins immediately.

Free trials are limited to one per phone number and device to prevent abuse. If you’ve already used a trial on this device or phone number, you’ll need to subscribe. You may also need to verify your phone number first.

When you reinstall ShieldDial, the app automatically checks the server for your existing trial or subscription and restores it to your device. If it’s still valid, it will become active again on first run without you doing anything.

1. Go to Subscription from the main menu. 2. Tap Redeem Promo Code. 3. Enter your promo code and tap Redeem. If the promo code is valid and not already claimed, your trial will be extended. If the code has already been claimed, you’ll see a message. If the code doesn’t exist in our system, it will be submitted to Google Play for validation.

You can manage your subscription through Google Play Store: 1. Open Google Play Store. 2. Go to Account > Subscriptions. 3. Find ShieldDial and manage your subscription (cancel, change plan, update payment method). You can also tap Manage Subscription from the Subscription screen inside ShieldDial.

Yes. If you reinstall the app or switch devices, your subscription should automatically restore when you sign in with the same Google account. The app checks for your subscription on first run. If needed, you can manually restore purchases by tapping Restore Purchases on the Subscription screen. If it still doesn’t restore, contact support with your purchase receipt.

1. Check that ShieldDial is set as your Call Screening service in Android Settings. 2. Verify your rules are enabled (check the toggle in the Rules screen). 3. Make sure ShieldDial has all required permissions (Settings → Permissions). 4. Check that your device’s Do Not Disturb settings aren’t overriding ShieldDial. 5. Verify your current ShieldDial status on the Dashboard – some statuses may override certain rules. 6. Restart the app and your device if issues persist.

1. Check notification permissions in Settings → Permissions. 2. Ensure notifications aren’t disabled in Android’s app settings. 3. Check that battery optimization is disabled for ShieldDial. 4. Verify the status notification service is enabled in ShieldDial settings.

If you see connection errors: • Check your internet connection (Wi‑Fi or mobile data). • If on Wi‑Fi, your firewall or proxy may be blocking secure connections; try a different network or mobile data. • Wait a few moments and try again – the app will automatically retry. • If the issue persists, contact support with the exact error message.

1. Restart the app. 2. Clear the app cache (Android Settings → Apps → ShieldDial → Storage → Clear Cache). 3. Update to the latest version from Google Play. 4. If the problem persists, contact support and include when it happens. You can export crash reports from Settings → General → Export Crash Reports.

1. Check your internet connection. 2. Wait a few minutes and restart the app – ShieldDial checks for subscriptions on startup. 3. Verify your purchase in Google Play Store. 4. Try the Restore Purchases option on the Subscription screen. 5. If you just reinstalled, wait a moment – the app automatically restores subscriptions on first run. 6. If it still doesn’t show, contact support with your purchase receipt.

ShieldDial may collect: • Phone number (for account verification and trial/subscription management). • Device ID (to prevent trial abuse). • Subscription and purchase information. • Crash reports and diagnostics (to improve the app). Call screening decisions happen on your device. We don’t access your call logs or contacts beyond what you grant via Android permissions.

You can request data deletion by: 1. Visiting our data deletion page: https://shielddial.com/data-deletion-request 2. Or emailing privacy@shielddial.com with your request. We’ll process your request as quickly as possible and confirm when complete.

Yes. We use industry‑standard security measures to protect your data. All data transmission is encrypted, and we follow best practices for data storage. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

If you need more help: • Email: support@shielddial.com • Website: https://shielddial.com • Privacy Policy: https://shielddial.com/privacy-policy