Your phone rings. You pick it up only to find a red message alerting you of a spam call, with the people count who have already blocked the number. You end the call and have successfully saved a few precious seconds of your life. To make your life, even more, easier, Version 12 of Truecaller, a popular caller ID app for Android users, was launched on Thursday. The update brings several new features, including Video Caller ID that lets users set a short video preview to let the other person know who is calling.
A redesigned user interface, call recording functionality for all, Ghost Call and Call Announce features for premium users are some of the other perks that the new update has on offer.
What is Truecaller?
While Truecaller is quite a hit among people, for those who are still wondering what it is, it’s a caller identification service that has gained notoriety for its uncanny accuracy and simple yet efficient user interface. The high point of the app is that it helps users avoid spam and scam calls and save their precious time.
Until now, its caller identification services have only worked with standard voice calls made over cellular networks. Now, Truecaller 12 extends the functionality to video calls, too.
Video Caller ID is the highlight
Video Caller ID allows you to create a short video that helps identify you. This video will be played automatically for the recipient of your video calls.
You can record a video or choose from one of the four pre-designed templates. You will also be able to see the Video Caller IDs of your phonebook contacts who use the feature and verified business callers.
Redesigned interface with tabs for calling and messaging in the new version
By navigating to Settings > Caller ID in the Truecaller app, you can choose to manage the Video Caller ID setting for businesses and contacts. The videos you record for others using this feature will be stored in the Truecaller cloud.
A redesigned user interface with separate tabs for calling and messaging is also promised in this new update.
Call Recording feature is widely available
If you are on Android 5.1 or newer, you can also beta test the Call Recording feature. This was introduced for Premium users but is more widely available now.
The recordings are stored locally on your device and can be shared as an audio file. Users can record from the full-screen menu or the pop-up Caller ID interface.
Ghost Call to your rescue in sticky situations
Ghost Call and Call Announce features are also on offer on Truecaller 12. However, these features are exclusively available for Premium and Gold-tier users.
The first allows users to pretend they received a call from one of their contacts.
You can define any name, phone number, and contact photo to make the hoax look genuine. Ghost calls can be scheduled for a specific time of the day, too.
Call Announce reads out caller ID
Meanwhile, Call Announce allows the Truecaller app to read out to the caller ID for incoming phone calls. This could come in handy when you are driving or if you just don’t want to rush to the other room to check who is calling. It works for saved contacts and numbers identified from Truecaller’s database.
The new features will gradually roll out for all Android users soon, as per Truecaller. There’s no update as to when the features would be available on iOS.