Here's How to Use New iPhone Feature to Avoid Telemarketers

We've all been there. An unfamiliar phone number pops up on your phone during an incoming call, and you hesitate to pick up, not knowing if it's your doctor calling back or an annoying telemarketer.

Apple is finally doing something about it with a new feature being rolled out in iOS 17 that hearkens back to the days of screening calls with an old-school answering machine. You'll now be able to see a real-time transcription of incoming voicemail on your iPhone Lock screen that allows you to decide whether to pick up or not.

Live voicemail in iOS 17 #WWDC23 pic.twitter.com/Z4Wq4Q0a7A

— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) June 5, 2023

The new Live Voicemail feature is also pretty simple to use, according to Macworld. As a voicemail is being left, the transcription will appear on your Lock screen. However, for privacy reasons, your iPhone must be unlocked using Face ID authentication to view the incoming text.

If you happen to already be using your phone when the call comes in, the voicemail icon will appear in the dynamic island or the phone icon in the status bar. Simply tap the notification and the Phone app will open, displaying the Live Voicemail.

Naturally, the transcription will be on a one or two second delay. And as with current voicemail transcription, there might be something lost in translation, particularly when it comes to names and other proper nouns. But in either case, it should be enough to go on to decide whether to answer the call.

To do so, simply tap the green "accept" button to pick up. There's also an option to block the call, which is helpful if it's actually spam; or send a text message if the caller is already in your contacts.

Alternately, to disable Live Voicemail, just open Settings, scroll down to select Phone and then Live Voicemail. Then, use the toggle to easily turn the feature on or off.

However, this feature will only be available to iPhone models eligible for the iOS 17 upgrade, which is expected to arrive in mid-September. If your older generation iPhone doesn't make the cut, the good news is that now is a great time to upgrade with trade-in values at a premium ahead of the launch of the iPhone 15.

from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/7uHt56z