iOS update delivers standout feature that justifies summer installation, user claims
In a move aimed at enhancing user experience, Apple has released iOS 26, which includes a new feature called Call Screening. This innovative addition to the Phone app is designed to help filter out unwanted calls from robots, spammers, and scoundrels.
With Call Screening, users no longer have to worry about answering calls from unknown numbers. When a call comes in from an unknown number, the call is intercepted, and the caller is asked to state their name and reason for calling. After the caller responds, the user receives a notification with their response.
To enable Call Screening, users need to navigate to the Screen Unknown Callers Section in the Phone app. This can be found by launching the Settings app, going to the Apps section, and tapping on Phone. From there, users can tap on Ask Reason for Calling to activate the feature.
Even with Call Screening active, users can still receive calls from unknown numbers. However, these calls will be intercepted, and the caller will be asked to state their name and reason for calling before the call is connected.
Users can also grant known caller status to previous unknown numbers by tapping on the Mark as Known button from the Unknown Callers tab. This means that these numbers will no longer be filtered by Call Screening in the future.
One of the standout features of Call Screening is its support for multiple languages, including Cantonese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish. However, the exact supported languages for screening calls could not be confirmed from the data provided.
While Call Screening is a welcome addition to the iPhone, some users have expressed a desire for Apple to add a mass delete feature in a future iOS 26 update. Currently, it is possible for users to delete calls dating back a couple of years from their call history, but there is no easy way to do so.
Overall, Call Screening works well and instantly improves the user experience on the iPhone, making it an immediately better experience even if it were the only addition to iOS 26. Call Screening works on iPhone 12 and other devices that support iOS 26.
