Call Protect helps to prevent unwanted nuisance calls. By managing your settings, you can decide which calls you want to send to a junk voicemail. It’s free for BT customers.
If you don't have it already, you can order Call Protect online. You’ll need a BT ID to login. If you don't have one, you can create a BT ID.
BT Blocklist
We've identified a list of nuisance callers who we'll send to your junk voicemail, significantly cutting unwanted calls. We’ll turn it on automatically when you get BT Call Protect.
Personal Blocklist
You can add the last call you answered from your home phone, or any other phone number at My BT to your own blocklist. This means that any future calls from those numbers also go to your junk voicemail. This feature will also be automatically switched on, but won’t have any numbers until you add some
Individual Call Types
You can choose to send all calls from certain categories to your junk voicemail. The 3 call types are:
- international numbers
- withheld numbers
- unrecognised numbers, shown as unavailable on caller display or on 1471
Once you've got it, you can manage all your settings online at My BT or from your home phone by dialling 1572, which is free.
Further Help
Getting started
Accessing the Call Protect settings
Managing Call Protect online
Changing Call Protect Settings
Managing Call Protect from your home phone
To manage your settings from your home phone, simply dial 1572. Calls to 1572 are free.
Listening to your junk voicemail messages
Sending an incoming call straight to voicemail
Blocking calls or sending them to voicemail
Voicemail with Call Protect
Accessing the portal (My BT & BT App)
You can access the easy to use Call Protect settings page at www.bt.com/mybt. You’ll require a My BT ID to gain access. If you don’t have one, don't worry; you can register here >
Setting up a My BT ID
Follow our simple 3-step process at my.bt.com/appsprofile/registration/signup.do?addAccountMandate=Y to get registered. You’ll be able to start using the easy to use settings page to configure the product to your personal preferences.
BT Blocklist (Online)
We've identified a list of nuisance callers. Calls from these numbers will be sent to your junk voicemail. Our blocklist will significantly cut the amount of unwanted calls you get. And we’ll turn it on automatically when you get Call Protect.
You can manage this by going to 'Settings page' > 'BT Blocklist' > 'Off'
Personal Blocklist (Online)
You can add numbers from your 'Recently received calls' list, or any other number. This means that any future calls from those numbers go to your junk voicemail. This feature will be automatically switched on, but won’t have any numbers until you add them.
You can manage this by going to 'Settings page' > 'Personal Blocklist' > 'Off'
You can easily add or remove phone numbers on your personal blocklist.
Adding a number
You can add up to 100 numbers. There are two ways to do it:
- Go to the 'Call Protect Homepage' > 'Add a number to your Blocklist' > 'Blocklist'
- The recently received calls list will show you the last 20 received calls, not including those which have been sent to your junk voicemail. You can manage this by going to 'Recently received calls' > 'Edit' > 'Blocklist'
As a reminder, you’ll be able to give each entry you add a name to help you manage your blocklist.
Removing a number
Go to the 'Call Protect Homepage' > ‘Edit' (against the number you want to remove) > 'Remove from blocklist'
Individual Call Types (Online)
You can send all calls from certain categories to your junk voicemail. When your service is provided, the call type categories will be set to ‘allow’, meaning you'll continue to receive calls from these numbers. By changing the setting to ‘stop’, calls from these numbers will be sent to your junk voicemail. The three call types are:
✓ International numbers
✓ Withheld numbers
✓ Unrecognised numbers (shown as 'unavailable' on caller display or on 1471)
You can manage this by going to 'Settings page' > 'Call type settings' > 'Stop/Allow'
Changing Call Protect settings
To change which calls are automatically sent to your junk voicemail, press 'Menu' on the home screen, go to the Call Protect menu and press 'Select'.
Or, change Call Protect settings online.
BT Blocklist (Home Phone)
We've identified a list of nuisance callers. Calls from these numbers will be sent to your junk voicemail. Our blocklist will significantly cut the amount of unwanted calls you get. And we’ll turn it on automatically when you get Call Protect.
You can choose whether the BT blocklist is on or off by going to 'Manage your personal settings'.
You can also listen to your junk voicemails from the main menu.
Personal Blocklist (Home Phone)
You can add the last call you answered from your home phone, or any other number at bt.com/btcallprotect, to your own blocklist. This means that any future calls from those numbers go to your junk voicemail. This feature will also be automatically switched on, but won’t have any numbers until you add some.
To add the last answered call to your 'Personal Blocklist' dial 1572 from your home phone, press 1, and then follow the instructions to confirm.
You can choose whether your Personal Blocklist is on or off by going to 'Manage your personal settings'.
You can also listen to your junk voicemails from the main menu.
Individual Call Types (Home Phone)
You can choose to send all calls from certain categories to your junk voicemail. The three call types are:
✓ International numbers
✓ Withheld numbers
✓ Unrecognised numbers (shown as 'unavailable' on caller display or on 1471)
To choose individual call types you want to send to your junk voicemail, go to 'Manage your personal settings'.
You can also listen to your junk voicemails from the main menu.
Listening to your junk voicemail messages
You can listen to your junk voicemails from the main menu.
You're only able to store 20 of these voicemail messages at any one time. When your voicemail inbox reaches this maximum, each new message will delete the oldest message automatically.
Sending an incoming call straight to voicemail
Press the Phone Button (button with a handset icon) while the phone is ringing to send the call straight to voicemail.
Blocking calls or sending them to voicemail
There are three ways you can block calls.
1. Block a number before answering the call
Press 'Block' on the left hand soft key as the incoming call rings. Your phone will go hands-free and you'll hear it add the number to your Personal Blocklist.
2. Block the number during the call
During the call press 'Options' > 'Block'. The number will go to your Personal Blocklist.
3. Block the number after the call
After hanging up, press 'Menu' > 'Select'.
The handset will then dial into your 1572 Call Protect menu and give you the option to add the number to your Blocklist.
How to upgrade
When you have Call Protect with Voicemail, you automatically receive two additional features to manage your calls:
- VIP list - Make sure your important calls are never sent to your junk voicemail
- Do Not Disturb - Send calls to your voicemail at set times. When it’s on, all your wanted calls will be sent to your personal voicemail. Unwanted calls will carry on going to your junk voicemail (1572)
To upgrade your service, go to www.bt.com/managemyproducts and select 'Home phone' > 'Change my Calling Features' > 'Manage my Calling Features' and choose Voicemail.
VIP List
Never miss a call from someone important by adding their phone number to your VIP list. Regardless of your other settings, calls from these numbers won't be sent to your junk voicemail.
You can manage this online by going to 'VIPs' > 'Add a number to your VIP list'
You can manage this from your home phone by dialling 1572 and going to 'Manage your personal settings'.
Do Not Disturb
If you don’t want to be disturbed by callers at certain times of the day, you can send calls to your voicemail at set times. When 'Do Not Disturb' is switched on, all the calls you want to receive will be sent to your personal voicemail. All the calls you don't want will continue to be sent to your junk voicemail.
But don’t worry; your VIP callers can still get through to you. Simply tick the Ignore Do Not Disturb box against each VIP entry.
You can manage this online by going to 'Do Not Disturb' > 'Add a number to your VIP list'
You can turn 'Do not Disturb' on or off from the main menu after dialling 1572 from your home phone.
How to upgrade
When you have Call Protect with Voicemail, you automatically receive two additional features to manage your calls:
- VIP list - Make sure your important calls are never sent to junk or voicemail
- Do Not Disturb - Send calls to your voicemail at set times. When it’s on, all your wanted calls will be sent to your personal voicemail. Unwanted calls will carry on going to your junk voicemail (1572)
To upgrade your service, go to www.bt.com/managemyproducts and select 'Home phone' > 'Change my Calling Features' > 'Manage my Calling Features' and choose Voicemail.
VIP List
Never miss a call from someone important by adding their phone number to your VIP list. Regardless of your other settings, calls from these numbers won't be sent to your junk voicemail.
You can manage this online by going to 'VIPs' > 'Add a number to your VIP list'
You can manage this from your home phone by dialling 1572 and going to 'Manage your personal settings'.
Do Not Disturb
If you don’t want to be disturbed by callers at certain times of the day, you can send calls to your voicemail at set times. When 'Do Not Disturb' is switched on, all the calls you want to receive will be sent to your personal voicemail. All the calls you don't want will continue to be sent to your junk voicemail.
But don’t worry; your VIP callers can still get through to you. Simply tick the Ignore Do Not Disturb box against each VIP entry.
You can manage this online by going to 'Do Not Disturb' > 'Add a number to your VIP list'
You can turn 'Do not Disturb' on or off from the main menu after dialling 1572 from your home phone.
FAQs
BT Call Protect sends calls to a junk voicemail rather than actually blocking them. Recorded messages can be listened to by dialling 1572 from your home phone. If you'd like to receive calls from a number that's been sent to your junk voicemail, you can add them to your 'VIP list'.
Calls to 1572 are free.
BT Call Protect works in conjunction with any BT nuisance call blocking telephone. The features set on BT Call Protect will take priority on the settings you've configured on your phone.
For example, if you've stopped international calls via BT Call Protect, these will be sent to your junk voicemail regardless of the settings you've configured on your phone.
When a UK mobile calls from abroad, they're tagged as international. So if you've set all international calls to be sent to your junk voicemail service, this may be why you're not getting them.
To avoid this, add the mobile number you want to receive calls from to your 'VIP list'.
The BT Blocklist aims to prevent nuisance and unwanted calls but we're not able to identify everything. If you continue to receive unwanted calls, you can add these numbers to your 'Personal Blocklist' so in future, they're sent to your junk voicemail.
To make sure that your wanted calls aren't being sent to your junk voicemail, you can add important numbers as 'VIPs'. A VIP number will ignore the blocklist settings you have in place, and if you want, can bypass any 'Do not Disturb' preferences.
You'll need BT Call Protect with BT Answer 1571 or Call Minder to benefit from this feature. To get this upgraded service, go to www.BT.com/managemyfeatures >
There are a few ways of adding numbers to your Personal Blocklist:
- Online - You can add numbers to your 'Personal Blocklist' by entering a specific phone number
- Online - You can view your last 20 calls received and add a number to your 'Personal Blocklist'
- Via the home phone - by dialling 1572. You can add the number from the last call received by pressing 1. Calls to 1572 are free
Please remember that you can only add a maximum of 100 numbers to your Personal Blocklist, but you're able to delete those you no longer need to make space.
You can't add numbers which are unrecognised. However for withheld numbers, although you can’t see the number, we can, which means we can add it to your 'Personal Blocklist'.
If your 'Personal Blocklist' is full, you can delete numbers via the online settings page >
Alternatively, if you call 1572 from your home phone and press 1 to send the last call received to your Personal Blocklist, you'll be given the option to review the least effective numbers on your 'Personal Blocklist'. Calls to 1572 are free.
Doctor’s surgeries and hospitals sometimes call from withheld numbers. If you're expecting calls from these numbers you should avoid sending withheld numbers to your junk voicemail via the call type settings.
If you always want to make sure you receive calls from important numbers, you can add them to a 'VIP list'. This is available when you have BT Call Protect with BT Answer 1571 or Call Minder >
By adding a number as a 'VIP', you'll make sure that regardless of other 'Blocklist' and call type preferences, the call will still be received.
BT Erasure is a service that will replace your last received call with a withheld number. However, if you've chosen to send withheld calls to your junk voicemail, then the service won't work.
In order to use the 1475 Erasure service you'll need to:
- Switch your withheld call type to 'allow/off'. You can do this either online or by calling 1572
- Dial 1475 from your home phone
- Receive the call back
- Switch your withheld call type back to 'stop/on'. Again, you can do this online or by calling 1572
Be aware that 1475 doesn’t remove any numbers from your caller display device, or from your 'Recently received calls' list within BT Call Protect online. However, you are able to delete any calls from your 'Recently received calls' list online.