WhatsApp is developing a call filtering feature for the Android app

The first draft ran long. I'm tightening each section to the 80–160 word range so the full piece lands at 800–1,000 words.One section is still short of the word floor, and the full draft is over 1,000 words. I'm trimming it to fit both limits.WhatsApp is developing call filtering for the Android app so users can decide whether the app asks an unknown caller why they are calling, then read a private transcript before answering. WABetaInfo's report describes the work as an improvement on silence unknown callers. The feature is under development and not yet available for beta testing. WABetaInfo found three options in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.41.4 on the Google Play Store.

This piece is for Android users who silence numbers that are not saved in the address book, and for anyone who still needs a delivery driver, a doctor, or another unknown caller to explain the call. It covers the three choices in the privacy section, the on-device language packs, and the option to keep automatic silence with no exceptions.

WhatsApp is developing a call filtering: what actually changed

WhatsApp introduced silence unknown callers on Android, which WABetaInfo reported with the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.10.7. Calls from phone numbers that are not saved in the address book are silenced automatically, and the call still shows in the Calls tab so users know someone tried to call. On the privacy screen, the user decides whether unknown callers are silenced. The same rule applies to every unknown caller, so an important call from an unsaved number can be lost with no second chance to respond.

WABetaInfo discovered call filtering in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.26.41.4 on the Google Play Store. In that update, WhatsApp is testing three options that will replace the existing control and give users more control over unknown callers. The feature is under development, it is not available yet, and it is not yet available for beta testing. WhatsApp will release it to some beta testers in a future update and has not announced when it will be available to the public.

WhatsApp is developing a call filtering: how it works

Call filtering sits in the privacy section, where users choose what happens when an unknown number calls. "Never" disables call filtering, so WhatsApp notifies any call whether or not the phone number is saved. The second option silences calls from unknown numbers automatically. They still appear in the Calls tab and in push notifications, but WhatsApp prevents the phone from ringing. The third option has WhatsApp answer the call and ask the caller why they are calling, then generate a private transcript. The recipient reads that transcript before deciding whether to answer.

WhatsApp does not share the call with its servers to make the transcript. The app generates it locally on the device using language packs, the same technology used for voice message transcriptions and message translations. Nothing from the call leaves the device. Because transcription happens on the device, WhatsApp preserves end-to-end encryption. Users can choose the language used for the transcription. No call audio is sent off the phone, and the user decides whether to answer only after reading the private transcript.

WhatsApp is developing a call filtering: why it matters now

Silence unknown callers blocks every unknown caller without giving them a chance to say who they are. It helps prevent spam calls and unwanted interruptions, but users may miss important calls from delivery drivers, doctors, or anyone else. Call filtering makes it easier to decide which calls deserve attention, because a legitimate caller can explain why they are calling. WhatsApp will still keep the silence option for users who prefer no exceptions. "Never" stays available for people who want a notification on every call, saved number or not.

WhatsApp is not the first company to ship call screening for unknown numbers. Apple introduced call screening with iOS 26 to help users handle calls from unknown numbers. When an unknown number calls an iPhone, the device answers automatically and asks the caller to share why they are calling. The device automatically transcribes the response, so the user can then decide whether to answer. WhatsApp is bringing the same experience to Android through the third option, while automatic silence for unsaved numbers remains one of the three choices.

WhatsApp is developing a call filtering: who is affected

Android users who silence unknown callers from the privacy screen are the people whose setting this replaces. The filter covers phone numbers that are not saved in the address book. "Never" notifies any call, saved or not. The silence option still lists unknown calls in the Calls tab and in push notifications without ringing the phone. The third option asks why the person is calling and shows a private transcript before the recipient answers. A number saved in the address book sits outside that unknown-caller treatment.

Delivery drivers, doctors, and other callers missing from the address book can explain themselves only if the recipient uses the transcript option. Users who want no exceptions can keep silence and continue blocking spam. The three options are not available yet, and they are not yet available for beta testing. WhatsApp will release call filtering to some beta testers in a future update and has not announced a public date. WABetaInfo found the work in beta 2.26.41.4 on the Google Play Store. iPhone users already have Apple's call screening from iOS 26.

WhatsApp is developing a call filtering: what to watch

WhatsApp will release call filtering to some beta testers in a future Android update. No public date has been announced, and the feature is not yet available for beta testing. It belongs in the privacy section, where users decide whether to silence unknown callers. The settings are "Never", automatic silence for unknown numbers, and the option that answers and asks why the person is calling. Those choices replace the single rule from the Android 2.23.10.7 beta, which silenced every unsaved number the same way.

The private transcript is built on the device with language packs, the same technology behind voice message transcriptions and message translations, and the user chooses the language. WhatsApp does not share the call with its servers, so nothing from the call leaves the device and end-to-end encryption holds. Users who only want spam blocked can keep silence, with unknown calls still in the Calls tab and push notifications and with the phone kept from ringing. Apple's iOS 26 call screening already asks unknown callers for a reason and transcribes the reply.