Call Screening in iOS 26: A Step Forward, but Still Playing Catch-Up to Google

Apple took center stage at WWDC 2025 on June 9, unveiling iOS 26, which boasts an eye-catching new Liquid Glass design alongside several updates to core applications.

One of the most anticipated features is Call Screening, designed to combat the growing nuisance of spam calls.

This functionality allows users to automatically screen calls from unknown numbers, enabling the phone to remain silent while filtering out potential spam.

Apple Promises Future AI Enhancements for Call Screening and Siri in iOS 26

However, despite its promising debut, early demonstrations of Call Screening revealed it lacks the sophistication of similar features found in Google’s Pixel devices. While Apple’s implementation can identify spam, it falls short of Google’s contextual awareness that enables its Assistant to provide actionable responses during screened calls.

For instance, Google’s Call Screen can engage with the caller, offering tailored replies based on the conversation, whereas Apple’s version simply verifies whether a call is spam without providing these interactive options.

The current iteration of Call Screening offers an improvement over the previous notification system, as it prevents unwanted calls from alerting users unless they genuinely require attention.

Yet, without the intelligent, context-aware capabilities that Google delivers, Apple’s solution demonstrates that the company is still playing catch-up in the arena of artificial intelligence.

Looking ahead, Apple seems poised to enhance its AI functionality in subsequent updates to iOS 26. Speculations suggest upcoming improvements to Call Screening and Siri, potentially integrating more automation and intelligence into these features.

Considering that Apple has hinted at more revelations in the coming year, users may soon see an evolution that aligns more closely with the advanced capabilities offered by its competitors, particularly in the realm of user interaction and response handling.