Truecaller, the popular caller ID app, has been successfully blocking billions of spam calls annually for its vast user base. In an effort to entice more individuals to join its premium tiers, Truecaller has introduced an innovative update called “Max” for Android premium subscribers. This update employs artificial intelligence (AI) to block every call that does not originate from an approved contact or is deemed as potential spam by Truecaller’s AI, regardless of whether or not it is listed in the app’s database. Previously, call blocking was primarily determined by how numbers were listed in the database and users’ proactive screening.
Notably, the new feature is exclusive to Android as Apple restricts caller ID services, including Truecaller, from automatically blocking calls on iOS. As a result, Truecaller has provided a more basic service for iPhone users centered around CallKit.
These advancements come at a critical moment for Truecaller as the company experienced a 4% decline in year-on-year revenue in the fourth quarter, amounting to $41.52 million in sales. Additionally, the Indian telecom regulator proposed a caller ID service resembling Truecaller to combat spam across all telecom networks in India, which poses a direct competitive threat to Truecaller if implemented.
This latest feature demonstrates Truecaller’s belief in the existence of a business opportunity driven by individuals’ frustration with spam calls. However, embracing AI technology comes with the risk of potentially missing calls from unfamiliar numbers that may not be spam.
Truecaller is capitalizing on the current fascination with AI, as caller ID and spam protection are the app’s core features. The company believes that despite any concerns surrounding AI, the curiosity regarding its effectiveness in fulfilling Truecaller’s primary purpose will encourage more users to opt for the premium tiers. The pricing for the app’s premium tiers varies depending on factors such as the number of users covered, ranging from $9.99 per month to $99.99 per year.
Furthermore, this feature showcases how Truecaller is actively exploring avenues to implement proactive automation while expecting less involvement from its users. Previously, users were required to engage with the app and customize their blocking lists to optimize its performance. Now, all suspicious calls will be blocked by default.
Kunal Dua, Vice President of Search at Truecaller, mentioned that this feature has been requested by knowledgeable users of the app. Truecaller’s AI assistant already screens calls to determine why the caller has contacted the user. In addition to AI capabilities, the app offers cloud telephony and call recording.
The AI behind Truecaller’s “Max” update has undergone extensive development. The company has tested multiple algorithms across different markets to identify spam numbers. Each of these machine learning algorithms learns from user feedback, which contributes to its continuous improvement.
Introducing this service to iOS users would require a substantial shift from Apple. Although Truecaller introduced live caller ID support for iOS users, the functionality is limited and necessitates a separate setup process.
The adoption and reception of this all-encompassing feature, which may occasionally make mistakes, will be intriguing to observe. Truecaller acknowledges that the system may inadvertently block legitimate businesses, but it is expected to enhance its accuracy over time as it accumulates more data on spam calls.
Users have the ability to unblock numbers that were mistakenly marked as spam by the AI algorithms. This process also aids in training the AI.
After updating the Truecaller app to version 13.58 or later, Android users can find the new spam-blocking feature in the Settings > Block section.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How does Truecaller’s new feature work?
Truecaller’s updated feature, called “Max,” employs artificial intelligence (AI) to block calls that do not originate from approved contacts or are deemed potential spam. It utilizes machine learning algorithms to improve over time.
2. Can Truecaller automatically block calls on iOS?
No, Truecaller is unable to automatically block calls on iOS due to Apple’s restrictions. Truecaller has a more basic caller ID service for iPhone users.
3. What will happen if a legitimate business is mistakenly blocked?
Truecaller strives to distinguish between spam and legitimate businesses; however, there may be cases where a legitimate business is temporarily blocked. Users can unblock numbers that were wrongly marked as spam by training the AI algorithms.
4. How much do Truecaller’s premium tiers cost?
The pricing for Truecaller’s premium tiers varies based on factors such as the number of users covered. The tiers range between $9.99 per month and $99.99 per year.
5. Will the new feature improve over time?
Yes, Truecaller expects the accuracy of the spam call-blocking feature to enhance as the AI algorithms gather more data on spam calls.
Sources:
– [Truecaller website](https://www.truecaller.com/)
Truecaller is a popular caller ID app that has been successfully blocking billions of spam calls for its users. In order to attract more users to its premium tiers, Truecaller has introduced an innovative update called “Max” for Android premium subscribers. This update utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to block calls that do not originate from approved contacts or are flagged as potential spam by Truecaller’s AI, regardless of whether they are listed in the app’s database or not. Previously, call blocking relied on how numbers were listed in the database and users’ proactive screening.
This new feature is exclusive to Android as Apple restricts caller ID services, including Truecaller, from automatically blocking calls on iOS. As a result, Truecaller offers a more basic service for iPhone users centered around CallKit.
These advancements come at a critical time for Truecaller, as the company experienced a 4% decline in year-on-year revenue in the fourth quarter. It reported $41.52 million in sales. Additionally, the Indian telecom regulator proposed a caller ID service similar to Truecaller to combat spam across all telecom networks in India, which poses a direct competitive threat to Truecaller if implemented.
Although Truecaller believes in the business opportunity driven by frustration with spam calls, there is a risk of potentially missing calls from unfamiliar numbers that may not be spam when embracing AI technology.
Truecaller is capitalizing on the current fascination with AI, as caller ID and spam protection are the core features of the app. The company believes that despite concerns surrounding AI, the curiosity regarding its effectiveness in fulfilling Truecaller’s primary purpose will encourage more users to opt for the premium tiers. The pricing for the app’s premium tiers varies depending on factors such as the number of users covered, ranging from $9.99 per month to $99.99 per year.
This feature also showcases how Truecaller is actively exploring proactive automation while expecting less involvement from its users. Previously, users needed to engage with the app and customize their blocking lists for optimal performance. Now, all suspicious calls will be blocked by default.
Truecaller’s AI assistant already screens calls to determine why the caller has contacted the user. In addition to AI capabilities, the app offers cloud telephony and call recording.
The AI behind Truecaller’s “Max” update has undergone extensive development, with multiple algorithms tested across different markets to identify spam numbers. User feedback contributes to the continuous improvement of the machine learning algorithms.
Introducing this service to iOS users would require a substantial shift from Apple. While Truecaller has introduced live caller ID support for iOS users, the functionality is limited and requires a separate setup process.
The adoption and reception of this feature, which may occasionally make mistakes, will be interesting to observe. Truecaller acknowledges that the system may inadvertently block legitimate businesses, but it is expected to improve its accuracy over time as it accumulates more data on spam calls.
Users have the ability to unblock numbers that were mistakenly marked as spam by the AI algorithms, which also aids in training the AI.
To access the new spam-blocking feature, Android users can update the Truecaller app to version 13.58 or later and find it in the Settings > Block section.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How does Truecaller’s new feature work?
Truecaller’s updated feature, called “Max,” employs artificial intelligence (AI) to block calls that do not originate from approved contacts or are deemed potential spam. It utilizes machine learning algorithms to improve over time.
2. Can Truecaller automatically block calls on iOS?
No, Truecaller is unable to automatically block calls on iOS due to Apple’s restrictions. Truecaller has a more basic caller ID service for iPhone users.
3. What will happen if a legitimate business is mistakenly blocked?
Truecaller strives to distinguish between spam and legitimate businesses; however, there may be cases where a legitimate business is temporarily blocked. Users can unblock numbers that were wrongly marked as spam by training the AI algorithms.
4. How much do Truecaller’s premium tiers cost?
The pricing for Truecaller’s premium tiers varies based on factors such as the number of users covered. The tiers range between $9.99 per month and $99.99 per year.
5. Will the new feature improve over time?
Yes, Truecaller expects the accuracy of the spam call-blocking feature to enhance as the AI algorithms gather more data on spam calls.
Sources:
– [Truecaller website](https://www.truecaller.com/)