How to Use Call Screening on Android

Call Screening is a feature on many Android phones that automatically answers calls from unknown numbers on your behalf. The caller is asked to say their name and the reason for their call, and you see a live transcript of their response before deciding whether to pick up.

Call Screening works differently depending on which Android phone you have. The instructions below cover Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and other Android phones using the Google Phone app.

Google Pixel

Pixel phones have the most complete version of Call Screen, built into the Google Phone app. It can screen calls manually or automatically.

How to Enable Call Screen on Pixel

• Open the Phone app.
• Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner and select Settings.
• Tap Spam and Call Screen, then tap Call Screen.
• Choose your protection level (explained below).

Protection Levels on Pixel

Maximum protection: All unknown numbers are automatically screened by Google Assistant. The caller has to identify themselves before your phone rings.

Medium protection: Only suspicious or likely spam calls are automatically screened. Other unknown calls ring through normally.

Basic protection: Suspected spam calls are silenced, and other unknown calls ring through normally.

There is also a manual option, where you choose to screen each unknown call yourself by tapping the Screen Call button when your phone rings.

How to Turn Off Call Screen on Pixel

Go to Phone app > Settings > Spam and Call Screen > Call Screen and turn off all protection levels. Traceback will resume identifying unknown callers right away.

Samsung Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy phones use a feature called Bixby Text Call, which answers calls on your behalf and shows you a live transcript of what the caller is saying.

How to Enable Bixby Text Call

• Open the Phone app on your Galaxy device.
• Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner and select Settings.
• Tap Bixby Text Call.
• Toggle Bixby Text Call on. You can also enable Auto Answer for unknown numbers if you want calls screened automatically.

If you do not see Bixby Text Call in your Phone app settings, your device or region may not support it yet. You can check for it in Settings > Advanced Features as well.

How to Turn Off Bixby Text Call

Go to Phone app > Settings > Bixby Text Call and toggle it off. Traceback will resume working as normal.

Other Android Phones

Some non-Pixel Android phones in the US support a manual version of Call Screen through the Google Phone app. The feature lets you tap a Screen Call button when a call comes in, instead of automatic screening.

How to Check If Your Phone Supports Call Screen

• Install or open the Google Phone app (available on the Google Play Store).
• Set it as your default phone app if prompted.
• Tap the three-dot menu and go to Settings > Spam and Call Screen.
• If you see a Call Screen option, your phone supports the feature. If not, Call Screen is not available on your device.

If your phone does not support Call Screen, you do not need to take any action. Traceback will work normally.

Why We Do Not Recommend This for Traceback Users

Traceback identifies unknown callers when you reject an incoming call. Rejecting the call forwards it to our system, which sends back the caller's identity within seconds.

When Call Screening is turned on, your phone automatically answers the call in the background before you have a chance to reject it. As far as the call is concerned, it has already been picked up. This means the call is never forwarded to Traceback, and we are not able to identify the caller for you.

In short, you can use either Call Screening or Traceback, but not both at the same time. If you turn on Call Screening, Traceback will not identify unknown callers for you until you turn Call Screening off again.

Need Help?

If you have any questions about Call Screening or how it affects Traceback, our Customer Support team is here to help.