Truecaller brings real-time caller ID to iPhone users
Last year, Google introduced a caller identification feature similar to Truecaller’s, allowing Android users to identify unknown callers as spam or fraudulent without answering the call.
Meanwhile, for years, iOS users had relied on Truecaller for manual number lookups or notifications, missing out on the real-time caller ID experience enjoyed by their Android counterparts.
In light of Truecaller's limitation to iPhone users who despite having access to basic spam detection features on the app, were excluded from the real-time caller ID feature, Google had an advantage, until now.
Yesterday, Truecaller unveiled its long-awaited Live Caller ID Lookup for iPhones, a breakthrough made possible by iOS 18 which allows iPhones to identify incoming calls in real-time with automatic spam blocking.
Apple’s latest update with iOS 18 allows third-party apps like Truecaller to securely connect to their servers and fetch information about incoming calls in real-time. This is a groundbreaking achievement for iPhone users who’ve patiently watched their Android counterparts enjoy this privilege for years — safe to say that while the patient dog does not have the fattest bone in this case, the dog is eating.
Although Truecaller has always prioritized iOS development, as seen in its 2022 relaunching to iOS for spam detection, and its 2023 update with live caller ID experience which was futile, it’s unclear why this particular feature took so long to arrive. Perhaps the delay is tied to Apple’s previous limited support for server connections for caller identification.
iOS users, despite accounting for only around 750,000 paying subscribers compared to millions on Android, contribute a staggering 40% of Truecaller’s revenue. With numbers like that, it is in the company's best interest to continue investing heavily in its iOS app.
With this achieved, the next step for Truecaller is working on support for images to show up in the caller ID for its iOS users.
To enable the Live Caller ID Lookup feature on iPhone, navigate to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification.