Call screening is a feature on smartphones that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to handle incoming calls from unknown numbers, providing a real-time transcript of the caller's response before the user has to answer. This allows the user to filter out spam, robocalls, and other unwanted disturbances, significantly improving the mobile experience.
While both major mobile operating systems—Google's Android (primarily on Pixel phones) and Apple's iOS (available since iOS 26)—offer this functionality, their implementation, features, and underlying philosophies differ.
1. What the Receiver's Phone Does
When a customer enables call screening for unknown numbers, their phone's software takes the following steps when we call:
- The call is answered silently: The customer's phone answers the line immediately, but does not ring on their end.
- An automated prompt is played: An AI voice (e.g., Google Assistant or Siri) speaks to the caller (our agent/dialer).
- The conversation is transcribed: Everything the caller says in response to the prompt is instantly converted to text and displayed on the customer's screen.
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The person decides: The customer reads the transcript and decides in real-time whether to:
- Answer the call (if the purpose is legitimate).
- Decline/Ignore the call (if it appears to be spam).
- Send the caller to voicemail.
2. What the Caller Hears on the Outbound Line
The exact message the persont hears depends on the receiver's phone operating system:
A. When Calling an Android Phone (Google Call Screen)
The caller will typically hear a robotic or natural-sounding voice (Google Assistant) say a prompt similar to:
"Hi , I'm Call Assist by Google recording this call for the person you're trying to reach. Before I try to connect you, can I ask what you're calling about?."
- Key Action: The caller must state their name, company, and reason for the call clearly and concisely.
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Outcome if ignored: If the caller says nothing or the dialer detects the prompt and disconnects, the call will either be hung up by the AI or sent to a general voicemail box without the customer ever being alerted.
If you need more information about Android Call screening, you can check it here.
B. When Calling an iOS Phone (Apple Call Screening)
The caller will hear a prompt (often a calm, voice assistant like Siri) that is similar to:
"Please state your name and reason for calling."
- Key action: Similar to Android, the agent needs to provide their information immediately.
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Key behavior: iOS screening is often seen as a live voicemail. If the caller provides a compelling message, the call will ring on the customer's end with the text displayed. If the agent says nothing, the phone will typically let them leave a regular voicemail after a few seconds or hang up
If you need more information about IOS call screening, you can check it here
3. Why This Affects Outbound Dialing
This feature creates challenges for outbound operations, particularly if using an automated dialer:
- Dead air detection: If our dialer connects the call, but there is a slight delay before a human agent is connected, the customer's AI may hear dead air or the initial screening prompt. The AI may interpret this as a faulty connection or a robocall and automatically hang up, resulting in a no-connect.
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Inconsistent agent scripting: If the agent is connected and doesn't immediately and clearly state their purpose (e.g., they wait for the customer to say "hello"), the customer will read a vague or unconvincing transcript and decline the call.