Truecaller, the prominent caller identification app, has recently launched a new feature that enables users to become "Family Group Managers." In this role, they can receive alerts regarding fraudulent calls targeted at other group members and can even terminate the call on their behalf if a scam is suspected.
اضافة اعلان
The company, which boasts over 450 million users, explained that the feature was first introduced in December in a limited number of countries, including Sweden, Chile, Malaysia, and Kenya. Following promising results, Truecaller decided to roll out the feature globally, including in India—its largest market—according to a report by the tech news site TechCrunch.
Free Access for All Users
This feature will be available for free, allowing users to create groups even if they are not subscribed to a premium Truecaller plan. Through this tool, the most tech-savvy member of a family or friend group can take responsibility for up to five members.
How the Feature Works
Once members join the group, the administrator receives alerts for potential scam calls they receive. If the admin believes a call poses a threat to a member, they can remotely terminate it.
While the admin receives alerts for scam calls regardless of whether the member uses iOS or Android, the ability to remotely end calls is currently exclusive to members using Android.
On Android, members can also grant the admin permission to monitor real-time activities, such as:
Movement (walking or driving).
Battery levels.
Phone sound settings (to check if the device is on silent).
Truecaller stated that these features are particularly useful for monitoring elderly members, ensuring they are only contacted when it is safe to do so (i.e., not while walking or driving).
Privacy and Security Controls
The group manager can block specific numbers and international dialing codes, sharing these blocklists with all members. Importantly, Truecaller emphasized that admins cannot access the call logs of non-spam calls or the SMS history of group members, ensuring a balance between protection and privacy.
Kunal Dua, Chief Product Officer at Truecaller, told TechCrunch: "I think, unfortunately, every one of us knows someone in our families or friends who has been affected by fraud... In that sense, this is a radical shift for Truecaller in terms of the problems we are focusing on."
