Google Voice Can Now Flag Suspected Spam Calls
Google's virtual phone number service is getting better at filtering calls you don't want.
Google Voice will now label suspected spam calls.
Google Voice users shouldn't have to worry about spam phone calls for much longer. Google said on Thursday that Google Voice will now label calls that are believed to be spam with a "suspected spam caller" label.
To figure out which calls should be flagged, Google is using the same artificial intelligence that powers similar features on its other phone calling apps, the company said in a blog post.
A screenshot showing the new spam labeling in Google Voice
The new spam labels coming to Google Voice will appear on incoming calls and in a user's call history. Confirming a labeled call as spam will cause future calls from that number to be sent straight to voicemail.
Call history entries from that number will also be moved to your spam folder. Users can also flag when Google has mistakenly labeled a call as spam to prevent that label from showing up on future calls from that number.
The ability to label potential spam calls is one of few improvements Google has made to Google Voice in recent months. A previous update made it possible for the service to automatically switch between Wi-Fi and cellular service depending on which network offers better quality. Google Voice was also among the first apps to use the new photo selection tool that Google introduced in Android 13, according to 9to5Google.
The rollout comes after Google has made numerous improvements to the Phone app on its Pixel devices. For example, Google can wait on hold for you, screen calls and provide estimates for wait times when calling certain toll-free numbers. Google added Clear Calling on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, which is meant to improve phone calls by enhancing the caller's voice and reducing background noise.