Scam calls are the bane of my life. Maybe it’s because of my unusual name, or maybe I need to be more careful with my online security. Either way, scammers are getting hold of my phone number with alarming frequency.
On most phones, this is a real problem. Every time I get a call from an unrecognised number, I worry that it might be something important. It’s not out of the question that someone might be calling from their mobile or a landline in Manchester, after all.
So, I answer it, then waste far too much of my time trying to figure out if the call is genuine. Sometimes, it’s obvious (HMRC apparently wants to put me in jail for tax fraud), but on other occasions, the caller sounds remarkably convincing.
At best, answering scam calls is a massive waste of time. At worst, it could genuinely put my identity or money at risk.
While most phones have some form of spam detection built in, they’re very hit-and-miss. When using the Samsung Galaxy S25+ recently, it incorrectly identified a legitimate caller as spam. It was only after I rejected the call and looked up the number online that I realised it was genuine.
However, my Pixel 9 Pro XL has come to the rescue. It, and all recent Pixel phones, have a feature known as a ‘Call Screen’ that allows you to find out who’s calling and why before you decide whether to answer.
Now, instead of mentally preparing myself for a detective mission, I simply tap the ‘Screen call’ button
How it works
Now, instead of mentally preparing myself for a detective mission, I simply tap the ‘Screen call’ button. A computer-generated voice explains that it’s screening the call on my behalf and asks for context on why they’re calling.
Any responses they provide are transcribed in real time, so I know exactly what I’m getting myself into before having to speak to anyone.
It’s fair to say that call screening with a scam caller doesn’t usually get very far. Most of the time, as soon as they hear the automated voice, they hang up. It’s hardly surprising – imagine if they replied honestly!
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Call Screen can be useful even if it’s not a scam call, too. Plenty of genuine companies make marketing calls trying to convince you to buy their products or services, so it’s nice to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff.
In the US, Call Screen is even more powerful. It can be set to automatically screen calls from anyone who’s not in your contacts list, listening out for signs that it might be a spam call. If the number matches one in Google’s database, the call will be declined without you even knowing.
It sounds great on paper, but I’d worry about it misidentifying genuine calls as spam. I prefer the manual option available in the UK, which means I’m active in the process. A range of preset replies and context-based AI responses means there’s still very little work involved.
I didn’t realise how much I’d miss Call Screen until I switched to other Android phones. After spending more than three months using the Pixel 9 Pro XL, I’d taken it for granted.
Jon Mundy / Foundry
But after getting plenty of unwelcome reminders about just how unpleasant scam calls are, I realised what a game-changing feature Call Screen really is and switched back. Every time I answer the phone on a Pixel, I’m confident it’s worth my time – I can’t tell you how good that feels.
Call Screen isn’t the only Pixel-exclusive feature that I love. Now Playing is another excellent example – but it has a big problem.
