Truecaller is a caller ID and spam blocking app for Android, listed on Google Play as Truecaller: Spam Call Blocker with more than 1 billion installs. It identifies unknown numbers, blocks spam and scam calls, filters SMS and can serve as your main dialer or messaging app. It requires Android 8.0 or newer and was updated in September 2026.
Unlike many apps, Truecaller’s latest release notes describe concrete changes. The Assistant is easier to set up, a new Family Protection feature helps guard relatives against scam calls, and block settings have been redesigned. Beyond those changes, two decisions matter most: whether the free app is enough or Premium is worth paying for, and which permissions you are comfortable granting, since caller ID depends on them.
Android 8.0 or newer, build varies by phone
- Updated: September 21, 2026
- Version: varies with device
- Requires Android: 8.0+
- Developer: Truecaller
- Installs: 1,000,000,000+
Google Play data as of September 26, 2026
Latest update: what changed
The latest version arrived on September 21, 2026 with these notes:
Your Assistant is now easier to set up. Enable today to handle unknown numbers and detect scams in real time, even from safe-looking numbers
Introducing Family Protection — a new way to keep your loved ones safe from spam and scam calls
Managing unwanted calls is now easier with redesigned block settings and improved control over your protection
This update also includes bug fixes, performance improvements, and a smoother overall experience
What the latest update changes
Truecaller Assistant is an AI-powered feature that answers calls for you, asks callers who they are and why they are calling, and helps identify spam and robocalls. The update makes it easier to enable, and the release notes say it can handle unknown numbers and detect scams in real time, even from numbers that look safe. You can also use your own voice so callers hear something familiar.
Family Protection is the other headline. It lets you help parents and other relatives by remotely ending suspicious calls, receiving real-time scam alerts, managing their block lists and turning on automatic spam blocking. It can also show battery level and activity status and send low battery alerts and weekly safety reports. Redesigned block settings round out the update with clearer controls.
Caller ID, blocking and messaging
The foundation is caller ID, which shows who is calling even when the number is not saved and separates businesses from likely spam. Reverse number lookup lets you search a number to find a name. The spam database is updated in real time by users, and you can filter calls by country, number sequence or unknown numbers.
Truecaller can also become your main texting app, filtering spam and scam SMS and sorting messages into Personal, Important, Other and Spam tabs. It supports scheduled messages, free internet calls through Truecaller Voice, much like calls in Viber, and backup of call history, contacts and block lists to Google Drive, which helps when you switch phones.
The AI Call Scanner, started from a dialer button, analyzes a short voice sample to tell whether you are speaking to a real person or an AI-generated voice. Call recording adds an AI-generated subject, a summary and a transcript for each call, though recording is listed among the Premium features.
Free vs Truecaller Premium
Premium removes ads and adds call screening with the Assistant, call recording, the ability to see who viewed your profile, Ghost Call for simulating an incoming call, Announce Calls to hear a caller’s name aloud, Incognito Mode, a Premium badge and 30 monthly contact requests. Prices vary by country and plan and are shown in the app before you subscribe.
If you mainly want to know who is calling and filter out obvious spam, start with the free features and see whether they cover your needs. Premium makes more sense if you receive frequent unknown calls, need recordings and transcripts, or want the Assistant to screen calls on your behalf.
Permissions, privacy and troubleshooting
To work fully, Truecaller asks to become your default caller ID and spam app or your default phone and SMS app, and it requests access to contacts, call logs and phone functions. Truecaller states that it does not upload your phonebook to make it public or searchable. Review each permission before granting it, and remember that caller ID works by sharing names associated with numbers.
If calls are not identified after an update, check that Truecaller is still set as the caller ID and spam app in Android’s default apps settings, since updates or system changes can reset it. Battery optimization can also stop the app from working in the background. For persistent issues, Truecaller lists [email protected] for feedback.
Caller ID, dialer and spam alert screens
Family Protection, contacts and Premium screening
What is Family Protection in Truecaller?
It is a new feature that shields relatives from spam and scam calls. You can end suspicious calls remotely, get real-time scam alerts and manage their block lists.
Does Truecaller publish my phonebook?
Truecaller says it does not upload your phonebook to make it public or searchable. You can still check and limit the permissions the app uses.
Do I need Premium for call screening?
Yes. Screening calls with the Assistant is listed as a Truecaller Premium feature. Availability and price depend on your country and plan.
