The stock Google Phone app for Android smartphones was upgraded to block spam calls and send them directly to voicemail, without the user receiving any notification.
The new feature, which will work on devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and above, improves how the Google Phone app handles spam, further preventing users from being disturbed by the unwanted calls.
Google Phone App Spam Filter Now Available
The Google Phone app helped users deal with spam by displaying a red background whenever it detects a suspected spam call. Users will then be able to dismiss the call by swiping down on the screen, sending the call to voicemail.
Google, however, has taken spam protection a step further with a new feature for its Phone app for Android smartphones. Instead of requiring users to dismiss suspected spam calls on their own, the Google Phone app is now able to automatically block them. The call will go straight to voicemail, and whether or not the spam caller leaves a message, users will not receive a missed call notification. The Android smartphone will not even ring.
In case users want to check if all the blocked calls were really spam, they will be able to go through their voicemail.
How To Block Spam Calls On Android
Google explained how to activate the Android spam call blocker through a dedicated Google support page.
Caller ID and spam protection, according to Google, is activated by default. To make sure that the feature is enabled users can check through the Settings menu under the Caller ID & spam option. Caller ID will identify the company or service that is calling a user if they have a Google My Business listing.
The new feature is found as the second item in the Caller ID & spam menu. Users who would like to send suspected spam calls directly to voicemail should turn on the "Prevent suspected spam calls from disturbing you" option.
The Google Phone spam filter, however, may not be able to catch all unwanted calls. Users, however, will be able to block all calls from a specific number by tagging them as spam. To do so, users should enter the Phone app and check their recent calls for the spam caller. Tap the call, then on "Block/report spam." Users will be able to block the number and report it as spam.
From the looks of it, the next step for Google would be to create a system that automatically blocks spam callers after multiple redirected calls to voicemail without leaving messages.
