AT&T Will Warn You of Incoming Robocalls — But Not on iPhone

AT&T will now show you a green checkmark on some Android phones when an actual, verified call is coming in, the company announced on Wednesday.

For users who have the feature, they’ll see the aforementioned checkmark next to the number of the call. There will also be a “Valid number” indicator below.

The new call verification system is part of the industry’s increasing crackdown on robocalls and spam calls. But, currently, the system is only available for AT&T subscribers who own a Samsung Galaxy S10, a Galaxy S010+ or an LG V40 ThinQ.

It’s worth noting that AT&T also offers call verification for iPhone users, but it won’t show up when the call is coming in.

• To see if a number is verified on iPhone, you’ll need to check your call log in the Phone app under Recents.
• Verified unknown calls will have a checkmark next to them on recent versions of iOS. This clunky method is likely to change in the future, however.

Call validation is also available for users of AT&T’s Digital Home Phone service, although users will see a “V” instead of a green checkmark next to verified numbers.

The verification system is based on the SHAKEN/STIR method of authenticating phone calls. It doesn’t block numbers, but it should allow users to make a better decision about whether to answer a call or let it ring out.

With that being said, SHAKEN/STIR is not as effective as it could be because not all telecom firms in the U.S. have agreed to adopt it. So far, only AT&T and T-Mobile have implemented cross-carrier SHAKEN/STIR. Verizon said that it’s “working hard” on it, and Sprint said it’s in the midst of testing.

AT&T’s SHAKEN/STIR system is part of a broader effort to bolster its AT&T Call Protect platform, which it now offers as a free service to subscribers.

But, again, SHAKEN/STIR doesn’t block calls from ringing your phone. It just lets you know whether they’re a robocall or not.

If you’re an iPhone user tired of spam calls coming in, you can set all calls from unknown numbers to go to voicemail automatically in Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.