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My favorite iOS 26 feature answers unknown calls so I don't have to - here's how


An automated voice can screen your calls by asking for the caller's name and reason, and it even shows you a transcript, so you can decide whether to pick up.

I get a ton of unknown and spam calls, and after years of reading ZDNET articles about phone scams, I never answer these random numbers -- I just let them go to voicemail. The update introduced a built-in call screening feature tucked inside the Phone app settings. Screenshot by Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETIn iOS 26, Apple gives you a few different ways to manage calls from numbers you haven't saved.

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