What is Google Call Screen, how to turn it on, and where is it available?

(Pocket-lint) - Google offers a call-screening diagnostic for Pixel telephone users called Call Screen. It's designed to assistance you amended recognize who is calling.

You tin instrumentality amended power implicit who's calling you, too, arsenic the diagnostic allows you to study calls arsenic spam. Google is really pitching Call Screen arsenic a mode to debar spam calls, truthful you'll ne'er person to speech to a telemarketer again. It's successful the aforesaid wheelhouse arsenic Google Duplex, an AI-powered diagnostic that enables Google Assistant to telephone restaurants and marque appointments connected your behalf with a natural-sounding voice.

Here's what you request to cognize astir Call Screen. We've elaborate however it works, what it requires, and erstwhile you'll beryllium capable to commencement utilizing it.

What is Google Call Screen?

Call Screen is simply a diagnostic that lets you spot who’s calling and wherefore earlier you adjacent reply a call. And it's each powered by Google's AI (Google Assistant). Google said Call Screen happens connected your instrumentality and doesn’t usage Wi-Fi oregon your mobile data. It really uses on-device exertion to enactment accelerated and offline. That mode it keeps the speech backstage - betwixt you and the idiosyncratic who's calling.

Also, the caller volition beryllium told from the get-go that you're utilizing a screening work that's transcribing the telephone for you.

How does Google Call Screen work?

Say you're astatine meal and a telephone comes done your phone. It could beryllium thing important - oregon it could beryllium a spam call, similar idiosyncratic oregon thing offering you a "free travel to Spain". Either way, erstwhile you spot that telephone popular up connected your phone, pat the Screen Call button. Google Assistant volition past reply the telephone for you, inquire who is calling and why, and transcribe the speech successful real-time.

As the transcription appears connected your screen, you'll beryllium capable to work along, determine to prime up, inquire for much info, nonstop a speedy reply, oregon people the telephone arsenic spam. Again, this each happens connected your instrumentality and is powered by Google's AI exertion moving down the scenes. The audio and the transcript from your screened calls are private, too. Google said they won't beryllium sent to anyone "without your permission".

How to crook connected and usage Call Screen

Make definite you're moving the latest version of Phone app. (See Update? Tap it.)

Automatic telephone screening

1. Open Phone app.
2. Go to More > Settings > Spam and Call Screen.
3. Make sure See caller and spam ID is switched on.
4. Tap Call Screen.
5. Under “Unknown telephone settings,” pat the callers you’d similar to screen.
6. To surface automatically, take the following:
   • Automatically screen. Decline robocalls.
7. To prevention audio from screened calls, crook connected Save Call Screen audio.

That's it! Now, erstwhile idiosyncratic calls, Google Assistant volition assistance you surface the telephone and volition talk connected your behalf. You'll spot a real-time transcript of however the caller responds. Remember you tin reply oregon extremity the telephone astatine immoderate time.

Manual telephone screening

1. Open Phone app.
2. Go to More > Settings > Spam and Call Screen.
3. Make sure See caller and spam ID is switched on.
4. Tap Call Screen.
5. Under “Unknown telephone settings,” pat the callers you’d similar to screen.
6. Choose the manual route, by selecting 1 of the pursuing options
   
   • Ring phone.
   • Silently decline.
7. To prevention audio from screened calls, crook connected Save Call Screen audio.

Note: For much astir however Call Screen works, see Google support.

How to retrieve transcripts and audio from screened calls

All screened calls volition prevention a transcript of the screening connected your phone. You tin person your Pixel telephone besides prevention recordings.

1. Turn connected Save Call Screen audio (see above).
2. Open the Phone app.
3. Tap Recents.
4. Tap the screened call.
5. Tap Transcript or Transcript and audio.
   • If you don't spot those options, pat History > See transcript.
6. Optional: To delete the transcript and recording:
   • Touch and hold the screened call. Then, pat Delete.

Optional responses oregon actions erstwhile screening calls

If you similar to manually surface calls, you volition request to pat Screen call erstwhile you person a call. When the caller responds, you'll beryllium capable to take a suggested effect oregon an action. Here are immoderate responses and what the caller volition hear:

​​Is it urgent?

• “Do you request to get a clasp of them urgently?”

Report arsenic spam

• “Please region this fig from your mailing and interaction list. Thanks, and goodbye.”

I'll telephone you backmost

• “They can’t speech close now, but they'll springiness you a telephone later. Thanks, and goodbye.”

I can't understand

• "It's hard to recognize you astatine the moment. Could you repetition what you conscionable said?”

When volition Google Call Screen beryllium available?

Call Screen launched successful October 2018, but lone for Pixel 3 oregon Pixel 3XL owners. Google said it would travel to the full Pixel household - Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL. In February 2020, the diagnostic went unrecorded for each Pixel phones, adjacent including the archetypal device.

Where is Google Call Screen available?

You tin surface calls automatically successful English, successful the US, connected each Pixel phones.

You tin besides surface calls manually successful Canada, Japan, and the US connected each Pixel phones and prime different Android phones.

Want to cognize more?

Check retired Google's enactment pages here and here.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Originally published connected 11 October 2018.