Google Dialer lets you screen unwanted calls with long-awaited Caller ID feature

Google’s dialer app has grown in popularity over the past couple of years, with availability expanding beyond the Pixel and Android One device lines to most mainstream devices from manufacturers like Xiaomi and OnePlus. The app is now getting a new useful feature that has been in the works for months -- Caller ID for incoming calls.

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Users who have Google Phone set as the default dialer application on their phones are now able to identify who is calling when they receive a call, thanks to an announcement that informs them of the name and the number of the person who is calling. The feature was spotted by XDA, on the latest version of the Google Phone app.

While the feature (which was first discovered by XDA last September) has been a work in progress for months now, few users had access to the feature, which is reportedly rolling out to more users now. Caller ID announcements could come in very handy for remote working, when phones may be far away from the computer, so it’s easy to know who’s calling before you get up to pick up your phone.

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However, this feature might not be for everyone, so if you don’t want the Google Phone app to read out the caller’s phone number or contact name loudly, you instead use a feature like Microsoft’s Your Phone app. The app lets you mirror your phone’s notifications on your computer, while some devices are also able to place calls and respond to messages from their laptop or desktop computer.