How to use Call Screening feature on your iPhone
What's the story
Apple introduced a new feature called Call Screening with its iOS 26 update. The capability is designed to filter out unknown callers before your phone even rings, saving you from the annoyance of spam and scam calls. Once enabled, the feature automatically answers calls from numbers not saved in your contacts and prompts them to identify themselves. Their response is then transcribed in real-time for you to decide whether or not to take the call.
Feature details
How it works
Call Screening combines convenience with privacy by processing everything on-device, not sending data to the cloud. It's an evolution of previous features like Silence Unknown Callers but offers a more conversational approach to call screening, similar to live voicemail. The feature is only available for iPhones running iOS 26 or later models starting from iPhone 11. To enable it, users must first ensure their device is updated with the latest software version.
Activation process
Enabling Call Screening on iPhone
To activate Call Screening, go to the Settings app on your iPhone, scroll down to Apps, and tap Phone. In the Phone settings, look for 'Screen Unknown Callers.' Here you can choose between three options: Never (allowing all calls), Ask Reason for Calling (activating the new screening feature), and Silence (sending unknown numbers straight to voicemail). To use Call Screening, select 'Ask Reason for Calling.'
Functionality
How to use the feature
When Call Screening is enabled, your iPhone will automatically intervene when an unknown number calls. Instead of ringing right away, the caller hears a pre-recorded message asking them to state their name and reason for calling. Their response is transcribed in real-time and displayed on your screen during the call. This way, you can determine if the call is legitimate and decide whether to answer or ignore it.