WhatsApp may soon let Android users screen calls from strangers

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Proposed tool could ask callers their purpose and display transcripts before recipients decide to answer

Chandigarh: WhatsApp is reportedly developing a call-screening feature for Android users that could answer calls from unknown numbers, ask callers to state their purpose and generate a transcript of their response, allowing users to decide whether to take the call.

According to a report by WABetaInfo, which tracks WhatsApp updates and features under development, the proposed tool aims to give users greater control over calls from numbers not saved in their contact lists.

WhatsApp already offers an option to silence calls from unknown numbers. However, the setting can cause users to miss important calls from delivery agents, doctors and other people whose numbers have not been saved.

The proposed feature is expected to offer three options for managing such calls. The first, labelled “Never”, would disable call filtering and allow calls to come through normally. The second would silence calls from unknown numbers, as the existing setting does.

Under the third option, WhatsApp would reportedly answer an unknown caller automatically and ask why they were calling. The app would then generate a transcript of the response, which users could read before deciding whether to answer.

According to WABetaInfo, the feature is also being designed with privacy in mind. Transcripts would reportedly be generated on the user’s device using language packs, rather than sending call data to WhatsApp’s servers for transcription.

Users would also reportedly be able to select the language of the transcript to better understand the caller’s response.

The feature remains under development and has not yet reached beta testing. WhatsApp has not announced an official release date for Android users.