News

Truecaller For iPhone Gets Real-Time Caller ID And Auto Spam Blocking

The latest update integrates with Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup framework, launched with iOS 18 last year.

Published

2 minutes ago

January 23, 2025

Nour Nasir

Truecaller

Truecaller has rolled out a major update for iPhone users, introducing API support that brings real-time caller identification and automatic spam blocking. The upgrade aims to bring the iOS version of the app closer to its Android counterpart, which has long offered these advanced call-screening features.

The latest update integrates with Apple’s Live Caller ID Lookup framework, launched with iOS 18 last year. The technology allows third-party apps to cross-check incoming calls against a database of known spam numbers in real-time. Importantly, the process employs “homomorphic encryption,” ensuring user privacy by masking the caller’s number, concealing the client’s IP address, and using anonymous authentication.

With this update, Truecaller has also introduced global automatic spam call blocking for iPhones. However, the real-time caller ID feature is being released gradually and is available only to Truecaller Premium subscribers on iPhones running iOS 18.2 or later. Free users will still have access to ad-supported features, such as manual number searches and caller identification for verified businesses.

How To Enable The New Features

To activate the new features, follow these steps:

Update the Truecaller app to version 14.0 or newer via the App Store.
Go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification on your iPhone.
Turn on all Truecaller toggles, then restart the app.

Also Read: “AI Seal” Certification Now Required For Dubai Gov Partnerships

While these features are new to iOS, Truecaller has hinted at this update for months. Following Apple’s iOS 18 update and the introduction of its Live Caller ID API last September, Truecaller Co-founder Alan Mamedi shared his excitement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Truecaller finally works on iPhone”.

The global rollout of spam call blocking is already live, but users may need to wait for gradual access to the live caller ID feature.

News

Samsung Galaxy S25 Unpacked: Everything Announced At The Event

The S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra were unveiled at the event, along with plenty of new AI features and a teaser for the incoming S25 Edge.

Published

6 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Nour Nasir

Samsung

Samsung has kicked off 2025 with its first Unpacked event debuting the Galaxy S25 series. While this year’s lineup doesn’t boast groundbreaking hardware upgrades, the company doubled down on integrating smarter AI features into its devices, promising a more personalized experience.

Here’s a breakdown of everything announced by the Korean tech giant:

Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Galaxy S25 Ultra — Samsung’s flagship powerhouse — sports a 6.9-inch display and a frame with more rounded edges for improved comfort and grip. Samsung also claims it’s their “slimmest, lightest, and most durable Ultra device yet,” thanks to a titanium frame and Corning’s Gorilla Armor 2.

The most notable hardware change is a new ultrawide camera, upgraded from 12MP to 50MP. Like the rest of the lineup, the S25 Ultra is powered by a customized Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, enabling more efficient on-device AI processing.

Interestingly, Samsung has removed Air Commands from the S Pen, citing low usage rates. This change reduced the device’s weight while making the stylus sturdier.

The Ultra comes with 12GB of RAM and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Prices start at $1,300.

Galaxy S25 And S25+

The Galaxy S25 and S25+ retain much of their predecessors’ design and specs, including 6.2-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively. However, like the Ultra, both models now pack 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB in last year’s versions. The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor also powers these devices, ensuring smoother handling of Samsung’s AI-driven features.

One of these new tools, ProScaler AI, promises to improve image quality in real-time, potentially compensating for the unchanged display hardware.

Like its predecessor, the S25 offers 128GB or 256GB storage, while the S25+ comes in 256GB or 512GB configurations. Pricing starts at $800 for the S25 and $1,000 for the S25+.

AI Takes Center Stage

Since the S25 lineup sees only modest hardware upgrades this year, Samsung showed off its software, branding its One UI 7 on Android 15 as a new AI-integrated OS.

AI enhancements improve low-light photography and video by reducing noise. A new feature, Audio Eraser, can eliminate background sounds like wind or chatter from your videos. Samsung has also bundled its AI tools into the Personal Data Engine, which powers features like AI Select.

A new “Now Bar” — similar to Apple’s Dynamic Island — has been added to the bottom of the lock screen, and will serve up context-driven reminders and summaries, while the revamped Drawing Assist tool offers better precision and lets users incorporate their own images.

Galaxy S25 Edge Teaser

Samsung teased the Galaxy S25 Edge, which is rumored to be a slimmer alternative to the Ultra. While details were sparse, the event teaser highlighted the upcoming device’s vapor chamber, camera modules, and metallic design.

Samsung Wallet Updates

Samsung introduced new features to its Wallet app, including Instant Installment, a buy-now-pay-later service that manages offline payment plans for Visa and Mastercard purchases. Another addition, Tap to Transfer, is a peer-to-peer payment system allowing users to transfer money by simply bumping phones.

Galaxy Watch For Kids

Finally, Samsung announced a child-friendly mode for the Galaxy Watch 7, comparable to the Apple Watch feature. Parents can set up a child’s watch with an eSIM, manage apps, and enable location tracking. The system also includes kid-focused apps and customizable watch faces, adding a layer of fun for younger users.