Google Pixel phones offer support for a useful feature known as Call Screening, in select regions including the US. The company is finally working on introducing the functionality in India, nearly seven years after it was launched, according to a report. The Call Screening feature on Pixel phones will also use artificial intelligence (AI) to display smart reply suggestions during calls, which must be manually selected by the user to respond to callers. Apple is also set to introduce similar call screening features with its iOS 26 update later this year.
Call Screening on Pixel Phones Might Require Regulatory Approval
During a recent APK teardown of the Phone by Google app, Android Authority found files indicating that the company is planning to bring the feature to India. One of these is ZIP file that mentions the text “hi_in” which refers to the language (Hindi) and localisation (India), and this could be a resource that could be used by the Call Screening feature on the phone app for Google Pixel smartphones.
Call Screening on a Google Pixel phone in India (tap to expand)
Photo Credit: Android Authority
The publication also discovered another string called “enableIndiaManualScreeningOnlyMode” which indicates that users in India will not have access to the automated version of Call Screening, which is available in the US. Users would need to tap a Screen call button for incoming calls, then choose from various replies, if manual Call Screening is rolled out in the country.
While there’s no word from the company on plans to bring Call Screening to Pixel phones in India, the publication says that the company could be waiting for regulatory approval before the feature is rolled out. It’s also unclear whether Google will introduce the feature in English and Hindi, or whether other languages will also be supported in the future.
This isn’t the first time that Google has been spotted working on support for Call Screening. In January 2024, a user enabled the feature on a rooted OnePlus 7 running on AOSPA, a custom version of Android. The user could enable the feature after downloading a Hindi language pack on their smartphone.
Later this year, Apple is also expected to roll out a similar feature with iOS 26 that asks callers for information, allowing a user to decide whether they want to answer a call or reject it. The feature is expected to work in tandem with the Live Voicemail feature, which made its way to iPhone owners in India with the iOS 18 update.
