Google is rolling out a new functionality in its Phone app which aims to improve the sorting of calls on the handset, according to a report. It is said to introduce various filters for sorting out calls based on their type, from spam to unknown callers. Users will now reportedly see calls sorted into various categories instead of one continuous stream listing them all. The feature was previously reportedly introduced to the Phone app’s beta users but is said to have been widely released for all Android users.
Filters on Google’s Phone App
According to an Android Authority report, the Phone app can now categorise calls by their type, such as all, missed, contacts, spam, and non-spam. This potentially makes it easier to search for specific callers instead of having to scroll through the list of unrelated callers. However, it only features a specific set of filters and users do not have an option to search for calls on the basis of their incoming or outgoing calls.
Call filters were first reported to be introduced with the 159.0.718038457-publicbeta-pixel2024 update of the Phone app last month. At the time, it was restricted to beta users, with no information about its public rollout. However, the report suggests that it is now rolling out to all Android users.
Gadgets 360 staff members were unable to verify the availability of the feature even on Pixel devices. It is believed to be a server-side update which may be rolled out in a phased manner.
Other Spam Protection Measures
This functionality adds to the growing list of features rolled out by the Mountain View-based technology company in recent months to enhance user convenience and reduce the number of spam calls received.
This includes a Call Screen feature on Pixel devices which enables the agentic function to act as an intermediary between the caller and the receiver. It can find out the caller’s name and the purpose for calling, and provide the receiver with a transcription of conversation to help them decide whether they wish to take the call. For dealing with unknown numbers, there’s the reverse lookup feature which allows them to identify the caller and filter out spam calls.
