Google has now made its move to protect Pixel and Pixel 2 users from spam calls. People tend to receive numerous spam calls everyday from agencies that only want to promote their products. No other tech firms have taken a step to stop these spam calls, given that there is no written rule that actually forbids them. Fortunately, Google will drop a software update soon that will send spam calls straight to voicemail.
As reported by 9to5Google, Google Pixel and Pixel 2 smartphones are about to receive an update for the Phone app that will automatically direct the spam calls to voicemail without triggering a missed call notification. The Google Phone app has an existing anti-spam call feature introduced in 2016, which flashes a bright red color on the screen for a suspected spam caller. This feature is further improved by disabling the notification due to a potential spam call. There will be no notification either when the spam call is sent to voicemail, although filtered calls and voicemails can still be viewed in the phone's call history.
In spite of this new Phone app update in Google Pixel devices, another one might still be needed to correctly identify the source of spam calls. This way, the users may just opt to block the number, and the spam call will never be made in the first place.
To do this, however, there should be a proper settlement between the software company that screens phone calls and the agencies that send spam calls. Nonetheless, the latest Google Pixel update is a huge improvement as users will no longer be distracted from time to time due to spam notifications. Per Tech Radar, the latest Google Pixel update is the most aggressive anti-spam call measure yet by any tech firms.
There is no exact date of release yet of the official update in Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, and other Nexus handsets. Although, the current beta version of the Phone app update reportedly has other anti-spam call features such as silencing marketing calls.
