Apple's iOS 26 to Introduce Call Screening and Hold Assist Features

Apple has announced two new features for iOS 26: Hold Assist and Call Screening. Hold Assist manages calls while on hold, eliminating the need for hold music. Call Screening answers unknown calls, asks the caller for their name and reason, and may deter spam phone calls. This feature may significantly reduce the number of unwanted calls and texts for iPhone users.

At the recent WWDC25, Apple introduced two significant features for iOS 26, set to launch this fall, that aim to revolutionize the phone calling experience for iPhone users. These features, Hold Assist and Call Screening, are designed to manage calls more effectively and reduce the number of unwanted calls and texts.

Hold Assist is a feature that automatically manages calls when you are placed on hold. It detects hold music and mutes the call, alerting you when a live agent returns. This eliminates the need to listen to hold music, providing a more efficient and pleasant calling experience [1].

Call Screening is a more impactful feature that addresses the growing issue of spam phone calls. When an unknown number calls, the iPhone will automatically answer the call in the background and ask the caller for their name and reason. This feature is expected to significantly reduce the number of spam calls received by iPhone users [1]. Additionally, Call Screening will introduce a new filter for texts, routing suspected spam messages to a separate folder and hiding them from the main feed [2].

Both features are part of Apple's ongoing effort to improve user experience and protect users from unwanted calls and texts. While these features are new to iOS, similar functionalities have been available on Android for some time [2]. Apple's implementation adds nuanced voice detection and a more polished user interface, but the core ideas are not entirely novel.

The introduction of these features comes at a time when spam phone calls have become a significant issue. According to data from Truecaller, Americans receive an average of 3.3 billion spam phone calls every month [1]. While the number of calls has been decreasing in recent months, the new iOS 26 features promise to further reduce the burden of unwanted calls.

References:

[1] https://9to5mac.com/2025/07/17/ios-26-spam-call-feature/
[2] https://www.zdnet.com/article/five-new-ios-26-features-that-feel-familiar-ive-been-using-them-on-android-for-years/