For years, iPhone users have been eagerly awaiting the real-time caller ID feature that Truecaller has been offering Android users. Finally, the wait is over! Truecaller has announced a groundbreaking update that now allows iOS users to enjoy the same benefit. This exciting development was made possible by Apple’s implementation of Live Caller ID Lookup in iOS 18, which permits third-party apps to securely retrieve caller information from their servers.
This major release coincides with a significant leadership change at the company; co-founders Alan Mamedi and Nami Zarringhalam stepped away from daily operations in November 2024. Truecaller currently boasts over 2.6 million paying subscribers, but intriguingly, only 750,000 of these are iOS users. Despite this, 40% of Truecaller’s revenue streams from its iOS base, highlighting the iPhone’s critical role in the company’s financial success.
Back in 2022, Truecaller revamped its iOS app to enhance spam detection, a task made possible by Apple allowing the app to house larger sets of numbers locally. While this definitely improved call identification, it wasn’t sufficient for regions with high calling activity, like India. Truecaller’s Product Director, Nakul Kabra, noted that not all calls could be accounted for in an offline database.
Truecaller faces additional challenges in India, as local telecom companies are beginning to introduce a service known as Calling Name Presentation (CNAP), which aims to combat spam. This new service could potentially rival Truecaller in the future.
Early in 2023, Truecaller introduced a live caller ID feature on iOS. However, it required a manual interaction with Siri and wasn’t truly real-time. Until the advent of iOS 18, Truecaller depended on a limited, locally stored phone number dictionary.
To pave the way for the latest feature, Truecaller developed an innovative server architecture and an encrypted database solely for iOS users. This works in tandem with the larger database used by Android users. The new technology uses “homomorphic encryption,” which allows encrypted data computations, sending responses to the user’s device only to be decrypted locally, ensuring secure, real-time caller ID.
Kabra revealed that maintaining synchronized data between databases involves some delay, primarily due to the queuing and complex encryption process. But these delays should not exceed a few hours.
The real-time caller ID feature was recently tested under Truecaller’s beta program, showing promising results though occasional misses were noted. Truecaller’s premium offering starts at $9.99 per month for individuals or $74.99 annually, with a family plan available for $14.99 per month or $99.99 yearly, and a premium Gold subscription at $249 annually.
To enable the Live Caller ID Lookup on your iOS device, navigate through iPhone Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. On iOS 18, Truecaller has also enhanced the app’s interface, prominently displaying the caller’s name. The company is now working on adding caller ID images to further enhance the user experience for iOS users.
