Fresh regulations and a clever Android trick are quietly changing the game.
Across France, commercial robocalls and aggressive sales pitches have turned simple phone rings into a daily nuisance. New rules now limit when companies can call, and a free Android app can shut down many of these calls before you even hear them.
Why French phones won’t stop ringing
Telemarketing has become a real quality-of-life issue in France. Consumer group UFC-Que Choisir reported in 2023 that more than a third of people receive at least one unwanted call every single day. Three quarters say they’re targeted at least once a week.
These calls range from energy contracts and insurance to fake technical support. Many users pick up out of habit or fear of missing an urgent call, only to face another scripted pitch.
Most French users say commercial calls interrupt them at home, at work, and even during medical appointments, creating a constant feeling of intrusion.
What the new law actually changes
France has tightened the rules around cold calling several times in recent years, and a fresh step came into force on 28 January 2025. Under this new law, companies can no longer call a consumer for sales purposes unless they have obtained prior consent.
In other words, the “default” position is now that you do not agree to be called. Telemarketing businesses must be able to prove that you said yes beforehand. If not, the call is illegal.
Time slots and frequency are restricted
This latest text adds to a framework adopted earlier. Since 1 March 2023, commercial calls in France have already faced strict rules:
- Telemarketers may call only from Monday to Friday.
- Two windows are allowed: 10am–1pm and 2pm–8pm.
- No calls are allowed on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays, unless you have clearly agreed.
- A company can attempt to reach you a maximum of four times per month.
If you say during a call that you do not want to be contacted again, the company must stop calling you for at least 60 calendar days.
French rules now limit who can call you, when they can call, and how often they can try. In practice, enforcement is still catching up.
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The hidden clue: special phone prefixes for telemarketing
One of the most useful, and least known, measures came from the French telecom regulator ARCEP. Since 2023, dedicated prefixes have been set aside for telemarketing platforms.
For mainland France, legitimate sales calls are supposed to use numbers starting with:
- 0162
- 0163
- 0270
- 0377
- 0424
- 0425
- 0568
- 0569
- 0948
- 0949
For the French overseas departments and territories (DOM‑TOM), specific ranges also exist:
- 09475 – Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy
- 09476 – French Guiana
- 09477 – Martinique
- 09478 – Réunion
- 09479 – Mayotte
Personal mobile numbers in France normally start with 06 or 07. A sales call from those prefixes is not allowed and can be reported to the national “Bloctel” anti-telemarketing register.
What those prefixes mean for Android users
Once you know these ranges, you can use them as a filter. Instead of blocking one number at a time, you can block entire groups of numbers used by call centres. That’s where a specialised Android app comes in.
By targeting telemarketing prefixes instead of individual numbers, Android users can cut off thousands of potential nuisance calls in a single sweep.
Using an Android app to block cold calls by prefix
The French article that sparked this debate highlights a free tool called “Préfixe Bloqueur – Anti Spam”, available on Google Play. The idea is simple: tell the app which prefixes correspond to call centres, and let it quietly refuse those calls.
Step one: choosing and installing the right app
On the Google Play Store, the relevant app is “Préfixe Bloqueur – Anti Spam” by AWERTYS. Users are reminded to check the publisher’s name carefully since copycat apps exist in the anti-spam space.
According to the developer’s presentation, the service does not collect contact data or resell any information, a point that may reassure users already suspicious of phone-related apps.
Step two: setting it as your default phone filter
Once installed, the app needs to be set as the default service for caller ID and spam detection. Without that status, Android will not let it intercept calls before they ring.
- Open the app and tap “Set as default app”.
- When Android shows a list of phone or caller ID apps, select “Préfixe Bloqueur”.
- Confirm by pressing “Set as default”.
This hands the app the power to decide whether to let calls through based on your settings.
Step three: granting permissions without losing control
The next step is to grant a set of permissions. They are sensitive but necessary for the app’s job.
| Permission | What it’s used for |
|---|---|
| Access to contacts | Allows the app to see whether a number is saved in your address book. |
| Manage and place calls | Lets the app hang up or divert calls before you answer. |
| Caller ID / spam role | Gives it the “spam filter” role within Android’s phone system. |
On screen, the developer reiterates that no personal data is uploaded. Privacy-conscious users may still prefer to check reviews and Android’s permission logs for peace of mind.
Step four: building a proper blacklist of prefixes
The most technical part is creating a blacklist. The app’s interface is not especially polished, but the logic is straightforward once you find the right menu.
- From the home screen, open the “Blocked” tab in the bottom right corner.
- Make sure the “Blacklist” view is selected at the top.
- Tap the “Add” button, then choose “Prefix”.
Since France uses the country code +33, you need to enter each prefix without the leading zero. So, for example, 0162 becomes +33162.
For metropolitan France, the suggested list is:
- +33162
- +33163
- +33270
- +33271
- +33377
- +33378
- +33424
- +33425
- +33568
- +33569
- +33948
- +33949
Entering them one by one takes a few minutes, but the payoff is significant: any number beginning with those sequences will be blocked automatically. Calls can be diverted straight to voicemail, leaving your phone silent.
Once the blacklist is set up, most French telemarketing platforms will hit a hard wall before your phone has time to buzz.
What happens when telemarketers ignore the rules
The regulatory picture looks strict on paper, yet many users still receive calls outside legal hours or from mobile prefixes like 06 and 07. In such cases, the call is doubly problematic: it breaks both the prefix rule and, often, the consent requirement.
French consumers are encouraged to report these numbers to the Bloctel system, which maintains a central list of people who have opted out of telemarketing. Persistent offenders can face fines, but enforcement remains patchy, so technical defences on smartphones remain attractive.
Combining legal tools and technical shields
For an Android owner in France, the strongest protection tends to be a mix of several layers:
- Signing up to Bloctel to assert a legal refusal of cold calls.
- Using the telemarketing prefixes to block entire ranges via apps like Préfixe Bloqueur.
- Activating built-in spam detection in Google’s Phone app where available.
- Manually blocking recurring numbers that slip through using 06/07 mobiles.
None of these methods is foolproof on its own, but together they drastically reduce the volume of interruptions.
Real-life scenarios: from constant harassment to relative calm
Consider a typical scenario in a French city. A homeowner receives four or five calls a day related to home insulation, solar panels and energy contracts. Many call centres use the new prefixes, yet some try to dodge detection with regular mobile numbers.
After the user signs up to Bloctel and sets up a prefix blacklist on Android, all calls from dedicated telemarketing ranges stop ringing out. The occasional sales pitch still comes through from a fake mobile number, but now it appears only once: a quick tap on “block this number” ends it.
Another case involves an elderly user who is easily pressured by aggressive callers. Family members can configure the app remotely, blocking suspicious prefixes while keeping personal contacts and healthcare numbers untouched. For vulnerable people, this sharply reduces both stress and financial risk.
Key technical terms worth unpacking
Some of the language around these tools can be opaque. A few concepts help make sense of what your phone is actually doing:
- Prefix: the first part of a phone number, which can reveal the type of line or the region. Regulators can assign whole ranges to specific uses, like telemarketing.
- Caller ID and spam app: a special role in Android that allows an app to see incoming numbers before they ring and classify them as safe or suspect.
- Blacklist: a list of numbers or prefixes that the system automatically blocks, without asking the user each time.
- Voicemail diversion: instead of ringing, calls are immediately sent to your voicemail box, where you can check them later if needed.
Understanding these terms helps users judge which permissions to grant and what level of automation they’re comfortable with.
Risks, limits and what could come next
Turning your smartphone into a gatekeeper does carry some trade-offs. A poorly chosen prefix could block legitimate calls from small businesses or public services. Users need to be selective, sticking to the ranges identified by ARCEP rather than guessing.
There is also the risk of a cat-and-mouse game. As regulators restrict certain prefixes, abusive marketers may move to fresh ranges or use VoIP services that disguise their origin. Apps will need regular updates to stay effective, and regulators will have to keep tightening the net.
Still, the French approach offers a blueprint for other countries: combine legal consent rules, tightly controlled number ranges and easy-to-use smartphone tools. For Android owners in France, this mix already offers a rare luxury in 2026: a phone that rings only when it should.
