Truecaller launches family safety feature to block scam calls

The new feature allows a designated group administrator to monitor scam alerts for family or friends, remotely end suspicious calls and share blocklists, helping users protect vulnerable members from rising phone fraud.

Caller identification platform Truecaller has introduced a new safety tool designed to help families and close contacts protect one another from potential scam calls. The feature allows users to create a small trusted group where one person can act as an administrator and receive alerts when suspicious calls are detected.

The safety function was initially tested in a few select markets, including Sweden, Chile, Malaysia and Kenya. Following early adoption and user feedback, the company has now expanded the feature worldwide, including in India, which remains Truecaller’s largest user base.

According to the company, the tool is available at no cost and does not require a paid subscription. Users can create groups of up to five members, with one individual assigned as the admin responsible for monitoring alerts.

Real-time alerts and remote call control

Once a group is created, the administrator receives notifications whenever the platform detects a call that may be fraudulent for any member of the group. If the call appears suspicious, the admin has the option to remotely terminate the call to prevent potential scams.

The remote call-ending capability currently works only for devices running the Android operating system. However, fraud alerts are available to both Android and iOS users.

The platform has also introduced additional monitoring features for Android users who choose to enable them. These include certain real-time device indicators such as whether the user is moving, the battery level of the phone and whether the device is in silent mode.

Additional tools with privacy safeguards

Truecaller says these optional signals are intended to help administrators determine the best time to reach out to group members, particularly elderly relatives who may be more vulnerable to phone scams.

Group administrators can also block specific phone numbers or international calling codes and apply those restrictions across the entire group through a shared blocklist.

Despite these capabilities, the company emphasises that the feature has been designed with privacy protections in mind. Administrators cannot access personal call histories or text messages of other members and will only receive notifications when the system flags a call as potentially fraudulent.