What Is Google's Call Screen Feature, and How Does It Work?

Google's Call Screen feature lets you see who is calling and why. Call Screen 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.

What Is Google Assistant Call Screen?

To use Google Call Screen, ensure you have the latest version of the Phone app installed on your compatible Android phone. Call Screen is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and more countries.

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.

Call Screen appeared amid persistent robocalls and spam calls. 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.

How Does Google's Call Screen Work?

With Call Screen, you can set up automatic call screening or manual call screening.

Automatic Call Screening

First, you'll need to enable automatic call screening. After that, Google Assistant will automatically answer the call, ask who's calling, and why. Here's how to set up automatic call screening.

1. Open the Phone app and tap More > Settings > Spam and Call Screen.

2. Turn on See Caller and Spam ID.

3. Tap Call Screen and go to Unknown call settings. Choose the types of callers you want to screen.

4. Select Automatically screen. Decline robocalls. Now, when someone calls, you'll see a notification that reads Screening an unknown call. Assistant will hang up on a call it deems to be spam or a robocall. If it's a legitimate call, your phone will ring and you'll see the information Assistant gathered.

   If you don't want a number to be screened, save it as a contact.

Manual Call Screening

You can also screen calls on a case-by-case basis.

1. When a call comes in, tap Screen call.

2. Google Assistant will answer the phone call. You'll see a screen showing what Google Assistant says to the caller and the caller's responses.

3. After the person calling you answers Google Assistant, you'll see prompts at the bottom of the screen. These phrases include things like:

   • "Is it urgent?"
   • "I can't understand you."
   • "I'll call you back."
   • "Report as spam." (Ends the call without speaking to the person calling.)

4. Choose your response, pick up the call, or hang up.

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.