Truecaller has released a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature on Android that automatically detects and blocks spam calls. The feature, dubbed “Max,” uses machine learning algorithms to identify spam calls.
Until now, Truecaller has detected spam by checking its database of nearly 39 million numbers used to make unsolicited calls and screening numbers that users block in the app’s settings. The new AI feature takes Truecaller’s spam-blocking capabilities to a new level by blocking numbers even if they aren’t in the company’s spam list and haven’t been blacklisted by users.
Kunal Dua, vice president of search at Truecaller, told Tech Crunch that the company has been testing the ability of “multiple dozen algorithms” to identify spam calls and will continue to improve their capabilities.
The new feature is only available to premium users of the Truecaller Android app (version 13.58 and above). You can find the feature by going to Settings > Block.
Truecaller’s AI May Block Calls From Legitimate Businesses
According to Dua, Truecaller’s new AI may block some calls from legitimate businesses as it learns to identify spam calls.
“Obviously, we try our best to distinguish between spam and legitimate businesses,” he told Tech Crunch. “But there can be certain cases where some legitimate businesses may [be] temporarily [blocked].”
Users can unblock a number wrongfully identified as spam in the app’s settings. Dua explained that these mistakes will eventually reduce as the AI models learn from users’ feedback.
Max marks another step in Truecaller’s pivot toward AI technology to improve its services.
The company already has an AI-powered Assistant that can answer calls to ascertain their purpose so users can decide whether to pick up. Truecaller also has an AI-powered Call Recording feature that allows users to listen to recordings of their calls or have calls transcribed into text and summarized.
How to Avoid Spam Calls, Emails, and Text
According to Truecaller, each American receives an average of eight spam calls per month, which adds up to two billion spam calls monthly across the country.
Most spam is linked to marketing, but threat actors also use spam calls, texts, and emails to spread malware and phishing links, and rope unsuspecting victims into online scams.
While tools like Truecaller can help screen spam, it’s crucial to ensure your information never ends up with spammers in the first place. Spammers can obtain your email and phone number from social media, stolen data, people-search sites, or data brokers.
Data brokers collect morsels of information about you from various sources, including public records and the websites you visit. This information is usually sold to advertisers but is readily available to other third parties, including spammers. You can also use a data removal service like Incogni to wipe your information from the databases of data brokers and people-search sites.
Another way to protect your information from spammers is to limit the sensitive details (like your email or phone number) you share on social media or set your profile to private so only the people you follow can access it. Check out our in-depth articles on optimizing your social media privacy settings to learn more.
