How to Enable or Disable Call Screening on iPhone and Android

What Call Screening Actually Does

When screening is enabled and an unknown number calls, your phone answers silently in the background and asks the caller to state their name and reason for calling. You see a live transcript of their response and can decide to pick up, decline, or ignore. Robocalls and auto-dialers usually hang up the moment they hit a screen, so most spam never reaches you at all.

Screening is especially effective against neighbor-spoofed calls from your own area code, because it doesn't rely on the (fake) caller ID — it makes the caller prove they're human with a real reason to talk to you.

Call Screening on iPhone

Apple offers three layers of protection. Which ones you have depends on your iOS version — update to the latest iOS in Settings → General → Software Update to get all of them.

1. Call Screening (iOS 26 and later)

On iOS 26+, iPhone can automatically answer calls from unknown numbers, ask the caller for their name and reason for calling, and then ring you with that information on screen so you decide whether to pick up.

To enable it:

1. Open the Settings app
2. Scroll down and tap Apps, then tap Phone (or search for Phone in Settings)
3. Tap "Screen Unknown Callers"
4. Select "Ask Reason for Calling" — unknown callers will be screened automatically

To disable it:

1. Go back to Settings → Apps → Phone → Screen Unknown Callers
2. Select "Never" to let all calls ring through, or "Silence" to send unknown callers straight to voicemail without screening

2. Silence Unknown Callers (iOS 13 and later)

This simpler option doesn't interrogate callers — it just sends any number not in your contacts, recent outgoing calls, or Siri Suggestions directly to voicemail. Your phone never rings.

To enable it:

1. Open Settings and tap Phone (Settings → Apps → Phone on newer iOS versions)
2. Tap "Silence Unknown Callers"
3. Toggle it on

To disable it:

1. Return to the same screen and toggle Silence Unknown Callers off

3. Live Voicemail (iOS 17 and later)

Live Voicemail shows a real-time transcript while someone leaves a voicemail, and you can pick up mid-message if it turns out to be important. It pairs perfectly with Silence Unknown Callers.

To enable or disable it:

1. Open Settings → Phone (or Settings → Apps → Phone)
2. Tap "Live Voicemail"
3. Toggle it on or off

Bonus: Silence Carrier-Flagged Spam

If your carrier supports spam detection, iOS can silence calls the carrier identifies as spam. Look for a"Silence Junk Callers" or similar option under Settings → Phone → Call Blocking & Identification, along with any third-party caller ID apps you've installed.

Call Screening on Android

Android screening lives in the Google Phone app, which is the default dialer on Pixel and many other devices. Samsung phones have their own system, covered below. If you don't see these options, install the Google Phone app from the Play Store and set it as your default calling app.

1. Google Call Screen (Pixel Phones)

Pixel phones include the most advanced version: Google Assistant answers unknown calls, asks the caller who they are and why they're calling, and shows you a live transcript. On newer Pixels, automatic screening can decline detected robocalls before your phone even rings.

To enable it:

1. Open the Phone app
2. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top right and choose Settings
3. Tap "Call Screen"
4. Under "Unknown call settings," choose the caller types to screen: spam, possibly faked numbers, first-time callers, or private/hidden numbers
5. For each type, pick a protection level — "Automatically screen" (Assistant handles it and declines robocalls) or "Manually screen" (you tap Screen Call when the phone rings)

To disable it:

1. Go back to Phone app → Settings → Call Screen
2. Set each caller type to "Ring phone" (or turn off automatic screening) so calls come through normally

To screen a call on demand, tap Screen Call on the incoming call screen. Assistant asks the caller to identify themselves and transcribes the answer live; you then tap Answer, Decline, or one of the suggested quick replies.

2. Caller ID & Spam Protection (Most Android Phones)

Even without full Call Screen, the Google Phone app can identify and filter likely spam on nearly any Android device.

To enable or disable it:

1. Open the Phone app
2. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) → Settings
3. Tap "Caller ID & spam"
4. Toggle "See caller and spam ID" on or off
5. Toggle "Filter spam calls" on to silently send suspected spam to voicemail — or off if legitimate calls are being caught

3. Samsung Galaxy: Smart Call & Bixby Text Call

Samsung phones use their own dialer with spam protection powered by Hiya, plus Bixby Text Call for live screening on newer Galaxy models (One UI 5.1 and later in supported regions).

To enable spam protection:

1. Open the Phone app
2. Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) → Settings
3. Tap "Caller ID and spam protection"
4. Toggle it on, then optionally enable blocking for suspected spam and scam calls

To use Bixby Text Call (live screening):

1. Open the Phone app → Settings → Bixby text call (availability varies by model, region, and language)
2. Toggle it on and choose a voice
3. When a call comes in, tap "Bixby text call" — Bixby answers, transcribes the conversation in real time, and lets you respond by typing or pick up at any point

To disable either feature:

1. Return to the same settings screens and toggle the features off

4. Carrier Screening Apps

All three major U.S. carriers offer free screening and blocking apps that work alongside the built-in tools: AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter, and T-Mobile Scam Shield. These operate at the network level and can block spoofed calls before they ever reach your phone. Check your carrier's app store listing or account settings to activate them.

Should You Enable or Disable Call Screening?

Troubleshooting

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