Finally, You Can Automatically Block Spam Calls on Your IPhone
After years of waiting, iOS 18.2 finally allowed third-party app developers to create tools to automatically block spam calls. All of this has been possible on Android for years, but until recently Apple’s privacy settings prevented it. Finally, anti-spam apps like Truecaller can also have full functionality on the iPhone.
Live Caller ID Lookup in iOS 18.2 solves a long-standing problem
Apple’s privacy restrictions have until now prevented third-party app developers from creating a true call screening tool. For example, the Truecaller Android app can trigger online number verification as soon as you receive a call. The number goes through Truecaller’s live database of known spam callers, and if identified, Truecaller alerts the user with a big red box or even automatically rejects the user’s call if configured.
Previously, none of this could be done on the iPhone because apps weren’t allowed to send phone number data to their servers.
But in iOS 18.2, Apple introduced a new API called Live Caller ID. It uses homomorphic encryption to hide phone numbers as they move between your iPhone and Truecaller’s servers, allowing the iPhone version of the app to finally catch up with the Android version.
Right now, Truecaller is the only popular app that supports the new Live Caller ID API, but I’m sure more companies will follow suit.
How Real Time Caller ID and Spam Rejection Works in Truecaller
Truecaller’s free plan supports caller ID only for verified companies. If you’re looking for the real deal, spam caller ID, and automatic call blocking, you’ll have to pay for Truecaller Premium, which costs $9.99 per month or $74.99 per year. Plus, you can get a family plan for $14.99 per month or $99 per year for up to 5 users, so adding more people does represent a pretty significant discount.
After installing Truecaller and upgrading to Truecaller Premium, you will need to go to the Settings app to enable the Caller ID feature. Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification .
Here you will see several entries for Truecaller. Turn them all on. The latest, Truecaller Part 5 in Live Caller ID Finder will enable the latest caller ID features.
Finally, to enable the ability to automatically block calls from known spammers, open the Truecaller app. Click on the “Protection” tab, go to “Calls” and turn on the automatic spam blocking feature. You can then choose to block Top Spammers or All Spammers .
The new version of Truecaller for iOS will be available worldwide in the next few days. According to early access from TechCrunch , the app has successfully blocked most calls, but may still miss some.