Google Pixel users in India may soon gain access to the Call Screening feature, aimed at preventing scammers and unwanted calls. This exclusive feature for Google Pixel phones automatically screens incoming calls, saving users time and reducing the impact of spammers. While currently available in only a few countries outside the US, there is speculation that this feature might soon be extended to additional regions and languages, including India.
A Reddit user shared their success in activating call screening in India by modifying settings on their OnePlus 7 and a friend’s customized Redmi Note 8. Although the method to activate it involves rooting the device, the exciting prospect is the potential expansion of this feature to new regions and languages. The user mentioned, “I was able to get it to work perfectly after rooting my OnePlus 7 device, which runs AOSPA 14 Custom ROM, and using GappsMod magisk module available on GitHub to enable call screening flags and downloading the Hindi lang packages.”
The user employed modifications or tweaks to emulate or enable these features on their OnePlus device after gaining root access. Such modifications might involve using custom software, modules, or settings tweaks not officially supported by OnePlus but designed to bring Pixel-like features to other devices through rooting-based modifications.
The shared screenshots indicate that Call Screen supports Hindi and transcribes the caller’s words. Google Assistant then provides a list of suggestions based on the conversation for the user to respond accordingly.
The screenshots also suggest that Google might extend Call Screening to different languages in various countries, including German in Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland; Spanish in the USA; French in Belgium and Switzerland; Italian in Switzerland and Italy; and Portuguese in Brazil, in addition to English and Hindi in India.
Currently, automatic Call Screening is exclusive to the US, while in other regions, calls must be manually screened. However, the potential inclusion of Hindi in Call Screening for India could lead to broader adoption of this feature, in contrast to Samsung’s Bixby Text Call in India, which lacks Hindi support.
In March 2024, the Pixel Feature Drop is expected, and Google might announce the expansion of Call Screen with that update. This feature is anticipated to work across various Pixel phone models, from the Pixel 5 to the Pixel 8.
While the Call Screen feature is presently limited to the US for the Pixel Watch, there is speculation that Google might extend automatic Call Screening to more countries with the next Feature Drop. For users who encounter numerous spam or unwanted calls on their Android devices, Call Screen could prove to be a significant time-saving solution. Until Google officially confirms the expansion of Call Screen to India and other countries, users can refer to guides on how to block spam calls and texts on their Pixel phones.
