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iOS 18.2 enables real-time spam and fraud blocking in the Truecaller app

iOS 18.2 enables real-time spam and fraud blocking in the Truecaller app

Truecaller app has long been able to flag some incoming phone calls as spam and scams, allowing them to be rejected, but Apple privacy rules prevented the iOS version from working as effectively as the Android version. This means iPhone it wouldn’t identify many callers who would be flagged on Android phones.

New Apple API in iOS 18.2 solves the privacy issue and also now allows Truecaller to automatically block known spammers…

Problem with Truecaller app for iPhone

On Android, Truecaller checks the phone number displayed on caller ID and sends it to a database of known unwanted callers. If identified, it will add a spam or fraud warning to the incoming call screen. It also had the ability to completely block known unwanted callers, so you didn’t even see the call.

Apple’s privacy policies didn’t allow the app to work in the same way on the iPhone because the phone number of an incoming call was considered personal information, so Truecaller couldn’t send it to its servers. Instead, the iOS version periodically downloaded offline databases and the app ran the numbers against them – which is less comprehensive.

iOS 18.2 solves this problem

To address this issue in a privacy-respecting way, Apple added the Live Caller ID Search API to iOS 18.2. This encrypts the phone number on your phone, sends the encrypted data to the Truecaller server and receives an encrypted response. This response is then decrypted on your iPhone.

The framework is specifically designed for apps like Truecaller and means the latest version of the iOS app can now check the live database.

This API uses state-of-the-art homomorphic encryption, and Truecaller is the first company in the world to implement this at scale for caller identification (…) This update can leverage Truecaller’s latest AI capabilities and global database to identify as many calls as possible. It can ensure that no call remains unidentified on iOS as long as Truecaller has any information about it.

Additionally, the latest update includes something that Truecaller iOS users have been asking for for a long time: automatic blocking of spam calls. Other improvements include the ability to search for previously identified calls, going back up to 2,000 previous numbers in the Recent list in the Phone app.

The free version of the app identifies verified businesses, but full functionality requires a paid subscription. It costs a rather hefty $9.99 per month or $74.99 per year, but there’s now also a family plan available for $14.99 per month or $99 per year for up to five people.

The new version will be available worldwide in the next few days.

Here’s how to enable the new functionality:

  • Make sure you are using Truecaller for iPhone version 14.0 or later
  • Open iPhone Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & ID
  • Here enable all Truecaller switches and reopen the Truecaller app

Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala said, “We are excited to bring the full power of Truecaller to iPhone. We see huge potential and growth in our iPhone users, and compatibility with the Truecaller experience on Android has moved to the top of their wish list. This update provides this and more, while keeping all your phone calls private.”

TechCrunch has gained early access and says that it currently works with most connections but skips some.

Watch the short promotional video below.

Image: Truecaller

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