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Who knows if we'll even get it.
Seems to be in, someone dropped a few tidbits in the big reddit thread.

Afaik it picks up calls from unknown numbers silently and has a Siri voice ask for the callers name and why they‘re calling. After that it rings your device and showcases a live activity looking tile on your lock screen, showcasing transcripts / summaries above the slide to answer UI.
 
Just tested it out myself:

With "Screen Incoming Calls" enabled, a voice prompts you for your name and the reason for your call, it then triggers a notification on the iPhone and shows the alert with the stated information.

Seems to work smoothly for an initial release. I am sure it will throw some people for a loop when they hear it, but similar to how you can interrupt a voicemail, people will get used to it and learn to work with it.
 
Just tested it out myself:

With "Screen Incoming Calls" enabled, a voice prompts you for your name and the reason for your call, it then triggers a notification on the iPhone and shows the alert with the stated information.

Seems to work smoothly for an initial release. I am sure it will throw some people for a loop when they hear it, but similar to how you can interrupt a voicemail, people will get used to it and learn to work with it.
Probably similar to Android. Now that both have it people will get used to it.
 
Just tested it out myself:

With "Screen Incoming Calls" enabled, a voice prompts you for your name and the reason for your call, it then triggers a notification on the iPhone and shows the alert with the stated information.

Seems to work smoothly for an initial release. I am sure it will throw some people for a loop when they hear it, but similar to how you can interrupt a voicemail, people will get used to it and learn to work with it.
I may be stupid, but why wouldn't the spam caller just say "This is Joe from UPS regarding a package to your home." Then you pick up and they hang up. After all, they only want to know that your number is legit. Then you get 100 other calls from 100 other people since you have a verified number.

I guess this is exactly the same as today when I manually send to VoiceMail and read the live message, but this happens by default for any unknown number?
 
I may be stupid, but why wouldn't the spam caller just say "This is Joe from UPS regarding a package to your home." Then you pick up and they hang up. After all, they only want to know that your number is legit. Then you get 100 other calls from 100 other people since you have a verified number.

I guess this is exactly the same as today when I manually send to VoiceMail and read the live message, but this happens by default for any unknown number?
You're spot on. I assume this feature can be disabled, or at least I hope. Like you said, once they know they reached a live line, the flood gates open. My current setup is sending all numbers not in my contacts to voicemail. If it is a legit call or important enough, they will leave a message. Works for me.
 
You're spot on. I assume this feature can be disabled, or at least I hope. Like you said, once they know they reached a live line, the flood gates open. My current setup is sending all numbers not in my contacts to voicemail. If it is a legit call or important enough, they will leave a message. Works for me.
Going to voice mail or Apple’s automated response is the same thing with regards to live line. If your call goes to a voice mail, it indicates that it’s an active line
 
I may be stupid, but why wouldn't the spam caller just say "This is Joe from UPS regarding a package to your home." Then you pick up and they hang up. After all, they only want to know that your number is legit. Then you get 100 other calls from 100 other people since you have a verified number.

I guess this is exactly the same as today when I manually send to VoiceMail and read the live message, but this happens by default for any unknown number?
This feature is certainly a good indicator that your line is active / in use.
You're spot on. I assume this feature can be disabled, or at least I hope. Like you said, once they know they reached a live line, the flood gates open. My current setup is sending all numbers not in my contacts to voicemail. If it is a legit call or important enough, they will leave a message. Works for me.
There is a toggle to enable / disable call screening in the phone app settings. Sadly it's all or nothing, you e.g. can't manually pick the option when a call comes in.
 
Has anyone figured out how to block a number from the new phone app?

I’ve already submitted feedback. Because I won’t change if I have any choice if I can’t hit the info and block a number. I have thousands of blocked numbers. It’s an afterthought for me to do it.
 
Has anyone figured out how to block a number from the new phone app?

I’ve already submitted feedback. Because I won’t change if I have any choice if I can’t hit the info and block a number. I have thousands of blocked numbers. It’s an afterthought for me to do it.
If you mean from the recent calls list with the classic layout you hit the "i" button and scroll down and press block contact. On the new layout you tap the number then do the same thing.
 
I really want to block a number by caller name. I have no debt but there's a company that keeps hounding me anyway. I keep blocking, but how many numbers does this company have!? It's a simple feature request...

At least they don't ring through anymore, but I still get notifications that they called me. I don't know why I'm getting picked on, and changing numbers is a huge hassle.
 
I’ve been waiting for the call screening feature since I switched from Pixel roughly three years ago. That’s the only thing I’ve really missed. I hope it works well, and doesn’t require a newer device.
 
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I really want to block a number by caller name. I have no debt but there's a company that keeps hounding me anyway. I keep blocking, but how many numbers does this company have!? It's a simple feature request...

At least they don't ring through anymore, but I still get notifications that they called me. I don't know why I'm getting picked on, and changing numbers is a huge hassle.
I get the same crap. No debts, but they're even calling relatives of mine and harassing them now. Occasionally they forget to mask their number and it comes from Cambodia. Really hoping this new feature helps.
 
I may be stupid, but why wouldn't the spam caller just say "This is Joe from UPS regarding a package to your home." Then you pick up and they hang up.
I think the vast majority of spam calls are computer robocalls and not a human making the call. The robocall computer won't know how to respond to the screening request, so will just hang up. If the robocaller detects a human has answered the phone, the call gets routed to a live person.

I have a VTech landline phone that works very similar to this new iPhone screening feature. If the caller is not on my allowed caller list, it goes to a canned message that asks them to say their name and why they called, then hit the # sign. If the caller does that, my phone rings and plays their message, then I can answer the call if I choose to.

I get about a dozen spam calls a week on the VTech and in the almost three years I have had it, not one spammer has gotten through. When the spammer get the prerecorded intructions, they always just hang up.
 
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This is something Google has been doing for several years, including the put me on hold feature. Cupertino, get your copiers ready.

Even longer. Google Voice had this feature since day one (I'm pretty sure: I got GV near the start of introduction [2009-2010 for me, intro-ed 2009]).

I get about a dozen spam calls a week on the VTech and in the almost three years I have had it, not one spammer has gotten through. When the spammer get the prerecorded intructions, they always just hang up.

Ditto GV when I had that option turned on. For many years now, the GV number is in permanent Do Not Disturb mode and I've been REALLY selective on who gets the cell number vs rest getting GV number.

I will probably not enable this new feature as I get practically zero spam these days and Silence Unknown Callers handles those just fine in my case. And the free ATT call blocker app.
 
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