If Call Guard is set up but calls are not behaving the way you expect, you are in the right place. This guide walks through the most common reasons calls may be screened, sent to voicemail, or allowed through unexpectedly, and how to fix each one step by step.
Call Guard is built to reduce spam while still letting real calls reach you. When something feels off, it is usually related to contact syncing or call forwarding setup, both of which are easy to correct.
Start by reviewing how Call Guard handles incoming calls below, then jump to the issue that best matches what you are experiencing..
How Call Guard decides what to do with a call
Call Guard sorts every incoming call into one of two groups:
Known callers
Any number saved in your phone’s contacts
These calls should always ring straight through
Unknown callers
Numbers not in your contacts
These are screened by the Call Guard AI before reaching you
If a call behaves differently than expected, it usually means:
Contacts aren’t syncing correctly, or
Call forwarding is configured incorrectly at the carrier level
Issue: A real person or contact was screened or sent to voicemail
This almost always means Call Guard does not recognize the caller as a contact.
Step 1: Resync your contacts (most common fix)
In the Cloaked app, open up your Profile & Settings.
Navigate to Call Guard settings.
Tap on Troubleshoot Checklist
Select "Full Access to Contacts."
Then, scroll down and tap on Sync your Contacts.
This takes only a few seconds and usually fixes the issue immediately. Toggling the permissions off and on again forces the app to re-sync with your contact list and should resolve the problem.
To double check this worked, you can always open the main Settings app on your phone. Then:
Scroll down to the list of your apps and tap on Cloaked.
Look for Contacts. If the switch is ON, turn it OFF, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back ON. If it's off, please turn it ON.
Step 2: Allow a specific caller permanently
If one specific number was handled incorrectly:
Open the Guard tab in the app
Tap the call entry
Select Allow this Caller
That number will now always ring through without screening.
Issue: All unknown callers are being blocked instead of screened
Call Guard is designed to screen unknown calls, not block them entirely.
If every unknown call goes straight to voicemail, your carrier may be using unconditional forwarding instead of conditional forwarding.
Fix: Reset Call Guard forwarding
Disable call forwarding:
Verizon: Dial *73
AT&T / T-Mobile: Dial ##004#
Open the Cloaked app and complete the Call Guard setup flow again
Follow the forwarding instructions carefully when prompted
Issue: You’re still receiving spam calls
No call screening system is perfect. Spammers are constantly rotating phone numbers to bypass the barriers we try to set in place.
A spam call may occasionally appear as a “Verified Caller” if the number is brand new and hasn’t been flagged yet.
What to do when spam gets through
Open the Cloaked app
Go to the Guard tab
Tap the spam call
Select Block this Caller
This does two things:
Stops that number from reaching you again
Helps improve Call Guard for everyone
This is the single most effective way to improve accuracy.
Issue: It feels like spam increased after setup
Call Guard does not expose or share your phone number.
If spam appears unchanged or worse after setup, the most common cause is that call forwarding was never fully activated, so calls are still reaching your phone directly.
Check your forwarding status
Open your phone’s dialer
Dial *#62# and press call
If the message shows forwarding to your Call Guard number, setup is correct.
If forwarding is disabled or points elsewhere, rerun the Call Guard setup.
Issue: I need to call back someone whose call was screened or blocked
You can always see who called.
Open the Call tab in the Cloaked app
Tap the call entry
View the phone number and return the call using your phone’s native dialer app