Electronics

[Mz iMac]

iOS 26’s Call Screening feature

The way Call Screening works is extremely simple. When you get a call from an unknown number, the caller will first be put through to an automated voice that asks them to identify themselves and the reason for their call.

Once they’ve done that, your phone will ring and show a transcript of the caller’s answer. At that point, you can decide if you want to answer the call or not. If you don’t, the caller is disconnected. You’re not disturbed while the other party is talking to your robo-screener, other than a short alert you get saying someone is on the line. You’re then buzzed again once the identification is complete. It’s short, simple, and extremely effective – and you never need to pick up the phone when an unknown number appears.

How to enable and use Call Screening

To get started with Call Screening, you’ll need to have a compatible iPhone that’s running iOS 26. That includes anything from the iPhone 11 range (released in September 2019) onwards.

Once iOS 26 is installed on your iPhone, you don’t need to install anything else to get Call Screening up and running, and it doesn’t depend on enabling Apple Intelligence, for example. When you first get a call from an unknown number, you might see a prompt to enable Call Screening. Otherwise, you can adjust the feature’s settings manually. To do so, open the Settings app and go to Apps > Phone. From there, scroll down to the Screen Unknown Callers section. You’ll now have three choices: “Never,” “Ask Reason for Calling,” and “Silence.”

Selecting “Never” will disable Call Screening, allowing any unknown number to get through to you in the normal way. “Ask Reason for Calling” means that unknown callers will need to provide more information before reaching you.

“Silence” simply means that calls from unknown numbers are silenced, sent straight to voicemail, and will show up in your Recents list.

Select “Ask Reason for Calling” and Call Screening will be enabled, giving you an extra layer of protection against the scourge of spam calls.

Callers with unknown numbers can identify themselves so you know when to pick up.

SOURCE:   Macworld "Help Desk".......macworld DOT com

HTH

[LuvmyLab]

Thank you for clarifying this. This feature just started about a week ago and I kept asking my husband why I have to go through this automated voice to get my call put through to him. Now we know. Thanks!

[meallen616]

@Mz iMac,

[gadgetgal613]

I volunteer for 2 different organizations and need to contact people for services.  Nothing irritates me more than people who won't answer their phone from an unknown number.  If you've schedule a ride to a doctor appointment or a food delivery, you should know an unknown number will be calling.  This would be a help to get through to them but, I doubt they understand technology well enough to enable the feature.  

[We rescue cats]

Yep, and it can be a royal PITA when one works and gets clls from customers who are irate when they finally get through. . . and being a customer trying to call . . .GEEZ.

[bmorechick]

@Mz iMac   I turned off all auto updates/install on my phone so it doesn't auto download this 26.2.  It was auto downloaded onto my IPad and it's awful.  Shuff is all over the place. Screen windows all out of whack, closing out from one screen to another is wacky.  My son said my  IPad is too old to handle the new version and to turn back on auto updates because apparently, there are a lot of kinks in this program. 

I've had a time trying to figure it all out.  I was using Safari for internet browser and it doesn't pair well so I started using Chrome and it does a little better.

[Still Raining]

The first time ran into this was with someone I rarely call.  Guess I am Unknown to him 😂😂😂😂

[cindyNC]

Thank you so much for posting this!

[haddon9]

I will look into this.  Right now I'm using "block unkown callers".  So far it's been working well for me.  I unblock it if I'm expecting an important call.  If not they can still leave a message or text.

[Isobel Archer]

I'm not sure this feature is working as it should.  I turned it on and when my husband (who is not an unknown caller) called, it went straight to voicemail.  Then I found that other known callers (in my contacts) also went straight to voicemail.  My phone never rang and they weren't treated as "unknown" in that they were never asked anything - just straight to voicemail.

So I turned it off.  Maybe it will be corrected in future updates.