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This tech CEO has a wild new idea that could transform how we call people on smartphones

We need better options for call screening, this could be one.

Ios 14 incoming call
Image: KnowTechie

Caller ID has been around since 1987, but knowing who is calling doesn’t assuage any anxiety you might have over picking up the call. With all the technology we have now, isn’t it about time we know the reason for those calls as well?

Tech CEO Dan Mall‘s wife also had the same thought, so he decided to do some UI mockups of how it would work. The examples all use iOS, but they could just as easily be done on Android.

He envisions a system for adding a note to calls before they’re placed that states the reason for the call. Simple in theory, possibly harder to implement with the older tech running our phone networks.

Reason for calling feature
Image: Dan Mall / Twitter

Instead of a call instantly starting when you tap a contact, your phone could bring up a prompt to add the reason you’re calling. It would save so much anxiety for the person you’re calling, and possibly stop you from being sent to voicemail.

The person being called would see the reason in the call notification, enabling them to instantly decide if they want to take the call or not. He took the idea even further, with any call without a reason being sent directly to voicemail, without even ringing.

Your voice assistant could also be roped in, to prompt you to add a reason for your call. Neat.

Reason for calling feature
Image: Dan Mall / Twitter

Popular caller ID app, Truecaller, already has a version of this for its Android app. It does require both people to have the Truecaller app installed, so a native version like Mall’s vision would be better.

Phones running Android 12 can also use Google Assistant to screen their calls; with the AI picking up the call and finding out the reason. Then the user can decide if to pick up or send the call to voicemail.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.

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