That's a classic and very effective method for screening out spam calls that many businesses use on traditional PBX systems. Good news: Yes, you can absolutely do something similar with RingCentral! You'll leverage the Call Screening feature, which is a built-in capability for individual user extensions.

RingCentral's Call Screening can be configured to prompt callers to announce their name, or even to press a key (by the recipient choosing to answer), before the call is connected to the user. This acts as that "press 1 to connect" filter you're looking for, deterring automated spam calls that won't interact with the prompt.

Here's how you can set it up for an individual user:

1. Log in to the RingCentral Admin Portal.

2. Go to Users > User List > Users With Extensions.

3. Select the specific user (John Smith, in your example).

4. Navigate to Phone > Incoming Call Rules.

5. Look for and enable the "Screen Callers" option.

6. You'll likely want to select "Always" for "Ask for a name when..." so all calls are screened.

7. Crucially, ensure the "Ask me if I want to answer" toggle is enabled. This is what presents the "press 1 to accept" option to the user receiving the call.

When enabled, incoming callers will hear a prompt (e.g., "Please state your name"). You, as the recipient, will then hear the caller's recorded name (or a system prompt if they don't say anything) and an option to press '1' to accept the call. Spam calls generally won't complete this step, so they won't reach your user.

For a detailed step-by-step guide on setting this up in the Admin Portal, you can refer to this RingCentral Support KB article:

Incoming call handling settings for users and admins - RingCentral Support

This article covers various incoming call handling settings, including the "Screen callers" feature.

Hope this helps you set up a robust spam filter for your user!

Hello Mary,

Thanks for the assistance. I tested enabling the “Screen Callers” option. Even with it enabled, when the caller is asked to say their name, even if they say nothing, and press no buttons, the call still goes through and rings the user. (Yes, the RingCentral user has to press 1 to answer, but spam calls still come through)

I guess I’m confused how this prevents spam calls.

Hi ​@Nasser 
 

Thanks for the follow-up! I understand your confusion about "Screen Callers" and spam.

You're right, this feature isn't designed to block known spam numbers outright. Instead, it helps by:

• Filtering out uncooperative callers: Most legitimate callers will say their name. Spammers often won't interact with the prompt, signaling to you that it's likely an unwanted call.

• Giving you control: It forces them to interact, and if they don't, it's your cue to ignore the call, even if it rings through. The "Press 1 to answer" is your final decision point.

Think of it as a helpful "pre-screen" that lets you quickly identify calls that aren't willing to announce themselves.

For stronger spam prevention, I recommend:

• Blocking specific numbers: If you know a spam number, block it in your call history.

• Anonymous Call Rejection: Enable this to stop calls with hidden IDs (often used by spammers).

• Exploring RingCentral's App Gallery: Look for third-party anti-spam integrations for more advanced blocking options.

Hope this clarifies it!

RingCentral’s App Gallery contains ZERO results for search words “anti spam”. We are being inundated with robocalls that keep getting through despite following all these steps. We will be looking at other providers if RingCentral can’t fix this issue.