Apple's Best New iOS 26 Feature Has Been on Pixel Phones for Years

"you can opt in and have the software automatically screen calls that come from unknown numbers. In this case, an unknown number is any phone number you haven't interacted with before. When your phone automatically picks up the call, a robotic voice asks the caller for their name as well as why they want to get in contact with you. Only after that information is collected, the iPhone will ring and show you these details so you can decide whether to answer."

"I'm constantly getting calls from so many unknown numbers that I've completely given up answering the phone for anyone not saved in my contacts list. With the imminent release of iOS 26, I can make informed decisions to ignore or answer these calls. While most calls will still be ignored, I no longer have to wait until the caller starts leaving a voicemail and the live transcription appears on the screen to make a decision."

iOS 26 introduces automated call screening that can be opted into to handle calls from unknown numbers, defined as numbers without prior interaction. The screening system automatically picks up calls and uses a robotic voice to ask callers for their name and reason for contacting. After collecting that information, the iPhone rings and displays the details in a notification so users can decide whether to answer. The feature will support nine languages at launch, including English, Spanish, and Japanese. Google Pixel and some Android phones have offered similar tools previously. The feature reduces reliance on voicemail transcription for call triage.

Read at WIRED