Mobile Phones Android 132 132 people found this article helpful What Is Google's Call Screen Feature and How Does It Work? You may never have to talk to a telemarketer again by Jennifer Karner Writer Jen Karner is a former Lifewire writer and expert on VR and Android phones. Her work has appeared on AndroidCentral, iMore, WindowsCentral and others. our editorial process LinkedIn Jennifer Karner Updated on January 18, 2021 reviewed by Lisa Mildon Lifewire Tech Review Board Member & Writer Lisa Mildon is a Lifewire writer and an IT professional with 30 years of experience. Her writing has appeared in Geekisphere and other publications. our review board Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Article reviewed on Dec 29, 2020 Lisa Mildon Android Switching from iOS Tweet Share Email Google call screening lets you see who is calling and why. Call screening allows Google Assistant to answer your phone calls and provides a transcript of the request in real time. You can choose to tell the caller you aren't available, ask for more information, or pick up the call once you know it's a legitimate caller with whom you want to speak. Call screening is only available for the Google Pixel and select Android phones. What Is Google Assistant Call Screening? To use Google call screening, make sure you have the latest version of the Phone app installed. Get the latest Google Phone App The call screening feature rolled out with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL in October 2018. It's an automatic feature that gives you the option to have Google Assistant screen calls from numbers you don't know. When a phone call comes in, you see an option to screen calls. When you tap this, it launches Google Assistant to answer the phone for you. A screen appears showing what Google Assistant says to the caller and the caller's responses. After the person calling you answers Google Assistant, you see prompts at the bottom of the screen. These include things like "Is it urgent?" or "I can't understand you" to prompt the caller for more information. You can also choose "I'll call you back" or "Report as spam" to end the call without speaking to the person calling. This feature appeared after robocalls and spam calls become persistent. It's an easy way to answer a call from a number you don't recognize without interacting if the caller is spam or a scam call. Screening calls from numbers you don't recognize is a great way to make sure something is vital before paying attention to it. You can pick up the call at any time, so it's an easy way to ensure you don't spend time on the phone when you don't need to. Google Screen Call Transcripts Google saves the transcripts from screened calls, which can be handy if you want to review information from a call. You'll find this transcript inside the call details of a screened call. If you prefer not to have a record, delete the transcript by removing the call log entry for that phone number. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit