Truecaller, a leading global communications platform, has announced a significant update for iPhone users, bringing its full range of spam and scam blocking features to Apple’s mobile operating system. With the new update, Truecaller now offers real-time caller identification, bringing iPhone users in line with their Android counterparts for the first time.
The key to this advancement is Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup framework, introduced in iOS 18. This feature allows third-party apps like Truecaller to securely query their servers in real-time for caller information, providing users with the ability to identify calls as they come in. Notably, Truecaller is the first to deploy this live caller ID functionality at scale using homomorphic encryption, a privacy-preserving technology that allows data to remain encrypted during the identification process.
The Power of Truecaller on iOS
Truecaller, which has been at the forefront of combating unwanted communication for over 15 years, has leveraged its extensive global database and advanced AI capabilities to make this update possible. As part of the update, Truecaller on iPhone now supports automatic spam call blocking, a feature that has long been requested by iOS users. This addition means that iPhone users will no longer have to manually block spam calls, as Truecaller will automatically handle it for them.
In addition to spam blocking, the update allows users to search up to 2,000 previously identified numbers in their Recents list, making it easier to track down and manage unwanted calls. Truecaller has also introduced the Premium Family plan on iOS, enabling users to share the benefits of the Premium tier with up to four additional people.
Truecaller’s Growing Influence
Truecaller continues to expand its reach, with over 433 million active users and more than a billion downloads globally. In 2023 alone, the platform identified and blocked nearly 46 billion unwanted calls. Despite these impressive numbers, iOS remains a crucial area for growth. While Truecaller has 2.6 million paying subscribers, only 750,000 of those are on iOS, despite the platform generating 40% of its Premium revenue from Apple’s ecosystem.