My Pixel blocks spam calls, however can different Android telephones do it too?

Telemarketing and spam calls are relentless, and also you is likely to be stunned to be taught that you are able to do little to cease them — for instance, political campaigns are exempt from the Nationwide Do Not Name Registry. Fortunately, our telephones have began to incorporate wonderful spam filters to maintain undesirable incoming calls at bay. However that raises an necessary query: do you want a particular telephone, or is that this safety commonplace throughout the Android ecosystem? Whereas many assume nice spam safety is a Pixel-exclusive function, the reality is, you don’t really want a Pixel telephone in any respect. So, who and what’s actually saving us from the spam deluge? Let’s break it down.

Whereas the Pixel will get quite a lot of consideration and advertising for its spam-blocking prowess, most Android telephones offered in the present day even have the identical or comparable instruments that can assist you dodge undesirable calls. You’ll be able to thank the Google Dialer app for this — it’s pre-installed because the default telephone app on units from manufacturers like Nokia, Motorola, and even Xiaomi in Western markets. Google maintains a database of recognized offenders, and you may contribute to this record by marking any undesirable calls you obtain as spam.

Out of the field on a brand new Android telephone, the Google Dialer doesn’t block calls outright, however it does supply a layer of safety. When a suspicious name is available in, it’s flagged with a pink warning together with a label like “Suspected spam.” For even stronger safety, a fast journey to the Dialer app’s Settings > Caller ID & spam part means that you can allow the “Filter spam calls” choice. This function prevents flagged calls from ringing your telephone in any respect, as an alternative silently declining them within the background.

In case your telephone doesn’t have Google Dialer pre-installed, you’ll be able to obtain and set up it from the Play Retailer. Which means the spam safety most individuals affiliate with a Pixel can be accessible to the broader Android ecosystem. Some manufacturers like Samsung additionally preserve their very own spam databases, so verify the Dialer app’s settings web page and allow filtering if accessible.

Must you use a third-party app for spam safety?

If the built-in spam safety in your Android gadget isn’t chopping it, third-party apps will help. Apps like Truecaller and CallApp supply spam-filtering options past what you’ll discover with the Google Dialer, however include a few downsides. The primary being adverts or a month-to-month subscription charge to assist the app’s growth and upkeep of spam filters.

The larger drawback with utilizing a third-party app for spam filtering is that they usually request entry to your contacts, name logs, and different knowledge so as to operate. For that reason, I’d take into account such apps to be a final resort choice.

Due to Name Screening, Google’s Pixel smartphones do have a leg up in relation to spam safety. The function permits the Google Assistant to reply your calls and assess whether or not it’s necessary sufficient to seize your consideration. Nevertheless, most Pixel house owners don’t know you could have Name Screening routinely kick in for not simply potential spam calls but additionally numbers that you just haven’t saved in your deal with e book.

In the event you personal a Pixel 6 or later, I extremely encourage you to mess around with the decision screening choices accessible within the Telephone app > Settings > Spam and Name Display > Name Display. First off, you’ll need to allow the toggle for “Robotically display screen calls” and choose from considered one of three safety ranges: primary, medium, and most.

Primary safety does the identical factor because the “Filter spam calls” toggle described above. That makes “Medium safety” the primary Pixel-exclusive tier. It routinely screens suspicious calls by way of the Google Assistant and will yield a noticeable discount in undesirable calls.

Within the US and Canada, you might even see the choice to manually display screen calls on newer Motorola and Nokia units together with others that use the Google Dialer app. It’s not as helpful as automated Name Screening on Pixel units, however you’ll be able to work together with the caller by way of text-based prompts to search out out if the decision is price answering first.

Sadly, automated Name Screening is a traditional instance of a Pixel-exclusive function that isn’t accessible worldwide. With solely a dozen supported international locations, it could not work when you’re on trip or use a international SIM card. This restriction additionally applies to some areas the place the Pixel is formally offered, like Singapore and India.

Fortunately, you continue to get the fundamental stage of safety regardless of the place you reside — as I stated earlier, you’ll be able to thank Google Dialer for delivering many of the spam safety you want.