Google launches verified calls to tackle spam and scam calls; Here’s how the feature will work

Google stated that it was pilot testing the feature for some months.

Google verified calls: Search engine giant Google brings call verification feature! Google on Tuesday announced a new verified calls feature in its Phone app so that users can easily identify genuine calls made by businesses. In a statement, Google wrote that while businesses relied on calls to get in touch with existing or potential customers, users often did not answer calls from unknown numbers for fear of spam or scam calls. The company also cited a 2019 report by US’ Federal Trade Commission, which stated that calls were reported to be the number one reported method of people being contacted by scammers.

To tackle this issue, Google is bringing an in-app verification feature which would let the user know the name of the business, their number, a verification symbol to show that Google has authenticated the business as well as the business’ reason for contacting the user. The giant added that the entire process would be carried out in a secure manner, with Google not collecting or storing any personally identifiable information once the verification process is complete.

The Phone app is inbuilt in most Android devices and the app would, from later this week, also be available for download on several other Android-based devices.

Verified calls: Google pilot survey results

Google stated that it was pilot testing the feature for some months, and the early results from the testing indicated that the likelihood of a user answering a call increases due to this feature. This, the giant added, also helped save businesses the costs for identifying the relevant calls to users in a trustworthy manner. During the pilot, several businesses and institutions used verified calls feature, Google said.

Google added that on the basis of the Verified SMS feature that it launched in 2019 in order to verify the identity of the business that sent the messages to a user, the company said it learned the important role that verified communication played for businesses as well as consumers. Through a study in Brazil as well as the US, Google said it was found that customer trust in brands increased due to the use of verified SMS feature, and this led to significant improvement on several performance metrics.

Now, Google is bringing the same functionality to its Phone app.

The feature would initially be rolling out in India, Mexico, Spain, Brazil and the US, and more countries would be added subsequently.