Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Samsung is preparing an automatic call screening feature for Galaxy phones with One UI 8.5.
- We discovered the code strings for the feature hidden in the leaked One UI 8.5 firmware.
- Samsung is also preparing a language-selection option for automatic call screening.
Samsung only just rolled out One UI 8 to Galaxy phones, but a huge One UI 8.5 leak is already spilling details about what’s coming next. As expected, One UI 8.5 looks like a bigger update than One UI 8, and one of its upcoming additions is a much-loved Pixel feature that is finally making its way to Galaxy devices.
The leaked firmware for One UI 8.5 contains code confirming that Samsung is working on an automatic call screening feature similar to Google’s Call Screening on Pixel phones.
Currently, Galaxy phones rely on Bixby Text Call, a manual call-screening tool. With it, users can tap a button during an incoming call to ask the caller’s intent before deciding whether to pick up. This works with all calls, including calls from contacts or unknown numbers.
On the other hand, Pixel’s automatic Call Screening feature works a little differently. It automatically kicks in for suspected spam, spoofed numbers, or first-time callers, but not for saved contacts. Automatic screening is limited to Pixels in the US, while Google offers a manual version of the feature in more regions.
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With One UI 8.5, Samsung appears to be adding similar automatic call screening behavior. The new feature will detect and answer suspicious calls on its own, displaying a text transcript of what the caller says without pressing the Bixby Text Call button. That said, the manual option isn’t going away. It looks like users will still be able to trigger Bixby Text Call if they prefer to use it instead of automatic call screening.
<string name="cu_call_screening_title">Call screening</string><string name="cu_call_screening_auto_response_title">Auto answer to scam calls only</string><string name="cu_call_screening_description">Let an AI assistant answer calls and ask the caller who they are and why they’re calling. You can still answer or continue with Text call while AI assistant is answering the call. You can see the conversation without accepting the call.</string>
The leak also hints at extra capabilities. For example, the AI assistant could answer calls automatically when Do Not Disturb is enabled. Samsung is also preparing a language-selection option for automatic call screening.
<string name="cu_call_screening_description_additional">AI assistant will answer calls automatically when Do not disturb is turned on.</string><string name="cu_call_screening_language_description">Select a language for Call screening.</string>
One thing is still unclear, though. The leaked One UI 8.5 code doesn’t specify which markets will get the automatic call screening feature. However, given Samsung’s global software rollout patterns, there’s a good chance it will launch worldwide, at least in English, when One UI 8.5 begins hitting Galaxy phones or when Samsung is ready to launch the feature.
⚠️ An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
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