Truecaller Introduces AI-Powered “Max” Feature to Combat Spam Calls
Truecaller’s Fight Against Spam
Truecaller, the popular caller ID app, currently blocks an astounding 38 to 40 billion spam calls each year for its user base of over 374 million. In an effort to attract more users to its premium tiers, the company is now enhancing its filtering technology with a new “Max” update for Android premium subscribers. This AI-driven feature automatically blocks every call that doesn’t originate from an approved contact or that the AI identifies as potential spam, even if the number isn’t listed in Truecaller’s database.
Android-Only Update and iOS Limitations
The “Max” update is exclusively available for Android users, as Apple’s restrictions prevent Truecaller and other caller ID services from automatically checking callers’ spammer status and blocking calls on iOS devices. Consequently, Truecaller offers a more basic service for iPhone users, relying on CallKit.
Truecaller’s Business Challenges and Opportunities
Truecaller’s introduction of the “Max” feature comes at a crucial time for the company. In Q4, Truecaller experienced a 4% year-on-year revenue decline, generating $41.52 million in sales. Additionally, in India, Truecaller’s largest market with 259 million users, the Indian telecom regulator recently proposed implementing a Truecaller-like caller ID service across all telecom networks to combat spam more effectively. Although the proposal has faced opposition due to privacy and technology concerns, its implementation would pose a significant competitive threat to Truecaller.
Despite the potential drawbacks of missing calls from unknown numbers and non-spammers, Truecaller believes there is a business opportunity in catering to users who are tired of spammers’ relentless tactics. The company is also capitalizing on the current interest in AI, betting that any reservations about the technology could be outweighed by curiosity about its effectiveness in enhancing Truecaller’s core features while simultaneously increasing premium sign-ups.
Truecaller’s Premium Tiers and Pricing
Truecaller’s premium tiers range from $9.99 per month to $99.99 per year, with pricing varying based on factors such as the number of users covered.
Proactive Automation and User Engagement
The introduction of the “Max” feature signifies Truecaller’s experimentation with more proactive automation, potentially reducing the need for users to actively engage with the app. While Truecaller has always provided subscribers with a list of calls it can potentially block, including international, hidden, and unknown numbers not listed in the user’s contacts, users have had to engage and customize their own lists to get the most out of the app. With the new feature, all calls identified as suspicious will be blocked by default.
“It’s something that, at least, some people have asked for — people who understand the app very well,” claimed Kunal Dua, vice president of search at Truecaller, in a call.
Truecaller’s AI Development and Testing
The AI powering the “Max” feature has been in development for some time, with Truecaller testing “multiple dozen algorithms” across its markets to identify spam numbers. Each of these machine learning algorithms also learns from user feedback, continuously improving its accuracy.
Challenges and Future Improvements
While the “Max” feature is expected to improve over time as it gathers more spam call data, it remains to be seen how users will react to the all-encompassing nature of a feature that may occasionally make mistakes. The app currently warns users that the feature “might block legitimate businesses.” However, Truecaller is confident in its ability to distinguish between spam and legitimate businesses, with Kunal Dua stating:
“Obviously, we try our best to distinguish between spam and legitimate businesses. But there can be certain cases where some legitimate businesses may temporarily [blocked],” he said. “We like to believe it’s temporary before our community, and before our AI algorithms can identify that this is a legitimate business… We have great amount of confidence that if we are calling somebody as a spammer, there is a very, very high probability, 99.999 times out of 100.”
Users have the option to unblock a number if it was incorrectly marked as spam by the machine learning algorithms, which also helps train the AI for future accuracy.
How to Access the “Max” Feature
To access the new spam-blocking feature, users need to update the Truecaller app to v13.58 or later and navigate to Settings > Block.
6 Comments
Finally, a reason to answer calls again without questioning my life choices!
About time, now maybe my phone will stop being a circus of spam calls!
So, AI’s our new spam slayer? Bring it on, unwanted callers!
Who knew my phone could become a fortress against spam calls, cheers to AI!
AI’s got our backs now, no more playing guessing games with spam calls!
Looks like AI’s stepping up to kick some spam-call butt – unsolicited callers, beware!