Caller identity platform Truecaller has introduced a new feature enabling one individual to act as an administrator for a family group, receive alerts regarding fraudulent calls to other members, and even remotely end a call if they suspect a family member is at risk of being scammed.
The company, boasting over 450 million users, initially rolled out this feature in December to a select group of countries including Sweden, Chile, Malaysia, and Kenya. Truecaller stated that following encouraging initial results, it decided to launch the feature globally, encompassing India, which represents the company’s largest market. This functionality is offered free of charge, allowing users to form groups regardless of whether they subscribe to a paid Truecaller plan.
Through this feature, a technologically adept member of a family or friends group can assume the role of administrator for a group of up to five individuals. Once other members join, the admin gains the ability to receive alerts about potentially fraudulent calls directed at those members. Should the admin determine that a call poses a threat, they can remotely terminate it. While admins can receive fraud call alerts for members using either iOS or Android, the capability to remotely end calls is exclusively available for Android users.
On Android devices, members also have the option to grant the admin permission to detect real-time activities such as walking or driving, monitor battery levels, and check phone sound settings (e.g., silent mode). Truecaller indicated that this is particularly useful for administrators to oversee elderly members, allowing them to initiate calls only when members are not actively moving or operating a vehicle.
Admins are also empowered to block specific numbers and international calling codes, and to share a comprehensive blocklist with all group members.
Truecaller emphasized that administrators cannot access the non-spam call history or SMS records of group members.
“I think, unfortunately, all of us know somebody or another in our families or friends who have been impacted by fraud,” Kunal Dua, VP of Product at Truecaller, conveyed to TechCrunch during a call. He further elaborated, “In that sense, it’s a fundamental shift for Truecaller in terms of what we’ve been focusing on as a problem.”
Last year, Truecaller introduced a voicemail feature for Indian users, which includes an AI assistant that screens calls when a user is unavailable and provides a summary transcript. The company is now exploring a similar AI-driven approach for family protection, aiming to potentially inform administrators about the specific nature of fraudulent calls received by group members.
The company is also investigating the use of AI to screen calls and automatically disconnect them upon detecting certain words associated with scams, such as “digital arrest” — a tactic where perpetrators impersonate law enforcement officers to extort information or money from call recipients.
In India, scam calls have seen a rise over time, resulting in significant financial losses nationwide. Truecaller reported identifying over 7.7 billion fraudulent calls last year alone. Indian authorities have responded by launching multiple initiatives, including a controversial policy known as SIM binding, which could potentially hinder the operation of applications like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Truecaller is currently navigating a period of significant challenges. Its stock value has depreciated by over 80% in the last 12 months. The company's Q4 2025 report indicated a 49% year-on-year decline in its EBDITA—a key measure of operating profitability—with ad revenue falling by 31%. Additionally, Truecaller faces competition from India’s Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) system, which displays the caller’s name as registered with their phone carrier. Truecaller has consistently argued that merely displaying a caller’s name will not sufficiently reduce spam calls, asserting that its platform offers more robust protection through community-based reporting.
“In India, there has been much talk about the imminent rollout of CNAP,” Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala stated during the Q4 2025 earnings call. He added, “CNAP is partially rolled out, and so far, the impact on our user growth is limited. As we have said in the past, we expect that CNAP might have some impact on user growth, but that remains to be seen as CNAP reaches a full rollout.”
Jhunjhunwala further emphasized, “Our focus continues to be on delivering a superior product, and as you are aware, the consumer can choose to have CNAP and Truecaller in parallel, where we provide a lot more information and a lot more context and various other solutions, for the consumer.”
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