NixringFree spam call blocker for iPhone, and what free really covers
Most listings say free and then hide the blocking behind a paywall. Here is the exact line inside Nixring, feature by feature, so you can decide before you install.
Free download. iOS 17.0 or later. Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 2 App Store ratings.
The line
Call blocking is free. The convenience is not.
The part people actually search for, blocking spam calls, sits entirely in the free version. What Nixring Pro sells is scale and text filtering, not the core function.
| Capability | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in list of 80 spam numbers | Works | Works |
| Numbers you add by hand | First 10 only | No limit |
| Whitelist for trusted callers | Locked | Works |
| Prefix and range rules | Locked | Works |
| Junk and scam text filter | Locked | Works |
| Blocklist updates | Locked | Automatic or on demand |
| Advertising | Banner plus one full screen ad after a number is added | None |
The eleventh number is the catch. The free version honours the first 10 numbers you add. Add an eleventh and it stays in the app but iOS is never told about it. If you get spam from a handful of repeat numbers, free is enough. If you are collecting a growing list, you will hit the wall quickly.
How free apps get paid
Somebody pays for the database
A caller ID service that names an unknown number needs a large, constantly refreshed database. Building one costs money, and there are only three ways to cover it.
- Subscriptions. Honest and expensive. The listings that lead with free usually mean free trial.
- Advertising. What the free version of Nixring does. It funds the app and it shows up on the App Store privacy label as identifiers and usage data used to track you across other apps and sites.
- The data itself. Call records, contact lists, reported numbers. This is what makes the biggest databases possible, and it is the one route Nixring does not take, because the app never receives any of it.
Nixring picks the second route for the free tier and the first for Pro. It cannot pick the third even if it wanted to, for the reason set out on the page about the permission model.
Try the free tier first. Pro can wait until you hit a limit.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is Nixring free to use?
Yes for call blocking. The free version blocks the 80 numbers in the built-in list plus the first 10 numbers you add yourself, and it shows advertising from Google. Junk text filtering, unlimited numbers, the whitelist, prefix rules and list updates require Nixring Pro at 4.99 US dollars per week or 29.99 US dollars per year.
Why is the free list only 80 numbers?
Because that is what a single developer can verify by hand. A crowdsourced database of millions is built by collecting call data from users, which is the exact thing Nixring is designed not to do. The trade is real: a smaller list in exchange for an app that never sees your calls.
Does the free version show ads?
Yes. The free version loads banner and full screen advertising from Google, and its App Store privacy label lists identifiers and usage data used for tracking as a result. Nixring Pro removes the advertising. The Call Directory and Message Filter extensions contain no advertising code in either version.
Related