Latest news with #Phone
Tom's Guide
8 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
How to tell if your number's been blocked — 5 tell-tale signs Android users need to know
As an Android user, you might wonder if someone has blocked your number — especially if your calls suddenly go unanswered or texts seem to vanish into thin air. There are many reasons why some people may reach for the block button. In some cases, it's a temporary escape. In others, it's more permanent. Some may want to exert greater control over a relationship or avoid negative interactions. Others are looking to cut real-world ties. Whatever the reason, it's important to respect a person's decision to block — but that doesn't make it hurt any less. Studies have shown it can lead to feelings of rejection, confusion, or anger. But first, you'll want to determine whether you've actually been blocked, especially if you're using an Android phone, where some signs can be subtle. Here we look at five tell-tale signs that someone doesn't want to interact with you — plus a few reasons why those signs might be misleading. If you've not heard from someone in a while, it may be a good idea to give them a call. Chances are it'll ring, you'll chat and everything will be ok. But if it rings once and then goes straight to voicemail, it's a good indication that your number has been blocked by the recipient. Numbers can be easily blocked on Android: it only requires a user to tap the Phone app, tap the More menu (the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the screen), tap Settings then select Block numbers. From there, it is possible to tap Recents or Contacts to choose a number to block or manually enter a number and tap the + sign. To be sure you have been blocked, it may be worth trying again later or on another day just in case the recipient simply had their phone turned off or had been suffering a poor signal. Before you give this one a go, it could be worth asking a friend or family member if they've been able to get through to the recipient — provided, of course, they are mutual friends. If that isn't an option, then you could try calling the contact yourself using a different phone number or device. Should that call not go straight to voicemail, you can decide whether to allow it to keep ringing until the recipient answers or just hang up. Can't access a different number? You can hide your own instead. To do so, add *67 before the phone number you are calling. Again, if it rings, you will know your number is blocked. If you have sent a few texts but you've yet to receive a reply, be patient. The person may yet respond and, as before, a lack of response could be due to them not having their phone turned on. They may even be busy! There are, however, some telltale signs that you may not get a response. Time is one — if you're waiting an extraordinary amount of time to hear back, you may have been blocked (to block in Google Messages on Android, a user has to touch and hold a conversation, then tap Block). Many messaging apps have read receipts. You will see them in WhatsApp, Signal, Google Messages and more. In the case of the latter, read receipts will depend on whether the recipient is allowing use of Rich Communication Services (RCS). In any case, take a look at your sent messages. In general, you will see a checkmark or two beneath a sent message, showing it's been successfully sent. If the checkmark is colored, it tends to indicate the message has been read. If you have either of these, you haven't been blocked. But what if you don't see any checkmarks appear? Well, the recipient either has read receipts turned off, doesn't have RCS, or has blocked you. No, this isn't a tit-for-tat move, but if you have an Android phone you can go into the Contacts app, look for the person you suspect is blocking you, make a note of their contact details, select the More menu and select Delete to remove. You can then go to the main Contacts screen, tap + and search for their name or number. If someone has blocked your number, you won't see them as a suggested contact. It's a neat little trick to try. Chances are that if someone has blocked your number, they've also sought to block you from contacting them in other ways. If you were connected on social media, you should go through your various social media accounts to see what the situation is. Some social media services such as X will tell you outright that you've been blocked, but others are more subtle. You may not be able to find someone's profile when searching, or you may be told you can't follow them due to their privacy settings. Sometimes, profile images are missing and online statuses are absent. Any of the above is a strong indicator that you've been blocked. So, now you know how to tell if someone's blocked you on Android. Just remember that if someone has blocked you, it's their choice. It's also a function that you may need to use as well. To that end, it's worth knowing how to block emails in Gmail, how to block a number on your iPhone and if you want some temporary peace, here's how to block all calls on Android. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Digital Trends
a day ago
- Business
- Digital Trends
I know iOS is great for security, but it's fallen behind Android in one key area
In the smartphone industry, there's an unsaid perception around security and safety. iPhones are the better bet compared to Android. Given the open nature of Android, it's not surprising to see malware and scammy apps finding their way to Android phones, aside from the usual phishing tactics via calls and texts. Of course, a bit of digital hygiene goes a long way, but scammers will find a way to hoodwink even the most digitally aware among us. Over the past few years, however, Google has taken a more proactive approach to protecting users and has created safeguards that are amiss from iPhones. Recommended Videos Bringing AI into the arena I know. I know. We've all grown tired of the endless AI hype. At its latest I/O developers event, the word AI was mentioned 92 times, while Gemini was brought up on 95 occasions. In the background, Google has deployed AI smarts that will smell fishy behavior in real-time during calls and text interactions with bad actors. One of those safety nets is AI-powered scam detection in Google Messages and Phone apps. The focus is on target conversational scams, where a threat actor slowly manipulates users into sharing sensitive details, making fraudulent transfers, and incurring other forms of loss. In scenarios where scammers act as representatives of banking institutions or even state officials (something even the FBI has warned about), people often fall for the con covering job, delivery, and toll tax frauds. Google says it will rely on 'intelligent AI models capable of detecting suspicious patterns and delivering real-time warnings over the course of a conversation.' The AI will look for suspicious patterns in real-time and will accordingly show a scam warning. Users will also get an option to instantly end the conversation and block the person on the other end. Likewise, during calls, the Gemin Nano AI model will look for signs where the caller starts mentioning details such as payments or pending deliveries, and will accordingly alert users with on-screen, audio, and haptic cues. Thwarting bad callers at each step These protections are relatively new, but have been atop foundations that were laid years ago. In 2022, Google revealed that the built-in machine learning system in the Messages app was flagging 1.5 billion spam, phishing and scam messages on a monthly basis. Of course, the threat landscape is constantly evolving, and to that end, digital swindlers are constantly trying new ways to trick users. Screen-sharing is one of those routes. To block that risk pathway, one-time passwords (OTPs) triggered via SMS and email no longer appear in the contents of a message if screen sharing is active. So, even if a scammer has screen sharing privilege, they won't be directly able to glean it from the incoming notification. In fact, any app that generates OTP notifications is invisible to the screen-sharing flow. Likewise, when users are entering sensitive details such as usernames, passwords and credit card numbers, they are also hidden. Users can specify if they only want to share the screen of a single app's activity, giving them an added layer of privacy. Android 15 also introduced advanced cellular protections to protect users against advanced attacks where scammers are using cell site simulators. If the cellular connection is unencrypted, users will be warned that their calls and messages can be intercepted or at risk of snooping. Calls are, of course, the best way to launch a social engineering attack, and quite often, scammers pose as employees or representatives of a company to establish trust. To counter that route, Google has a verified call system in place that shows a caller's name and the business logo right on the incoming call screen, alongside a verified badge. Vigilance in Messages Just like calls, the Google Messages app will also look for risk signals and warn users about fake job and package delivery scams using machine learning toolkits. 'When Google Messages suspects a potential scam text, it will automatically move the message into your spam folder or warn you,' assures the company. In a similar vein, Verified SMS badges have been a part of the Messages app since 2019, working in tandem with real-time spam detection. Unlike calls, text messages have their own unique risk factors, such as malware packages and URLs. To protect users, the app will automatically block messages containing a link from suspicious senders and will issue a warning, as well. Since a lot of scammers use throwaway international numbers, the Messages app deals with that threat, as well. Users now have an option to automatically hide all incoming messages from international senders that are not in their contacts list. Then there's the risk of identity theft or impersonation attacks, which are on the rise due to AI deepfakes. In order to thwart such attacks, Google has developed a contact key verification system that relies on cryptography to ensure that the person you are talking to is indeed your acquaintance. Thieves often do a SIM swap on stolen phones and target their contacts. Phone-based contact key verification (via QR code scanning or number comparison) will ensure that such impersonation attacks can be flagged, at the very least. Of course, it never hurts to create roadblocks even before an online crook engages in their act. Read the threat, warn the victim One such proactive strategy unfolds via Call Screen, a feature that lets an AI answer the incoming call on your behalf and inquire the caller about their name and intent, before you even pick it up. The idea is to vet the identity and avert a risky conversation before a scammer even gets a chance to interact with their target. But let's say you picked up the call, regardless. Thanks to the built-in AI systems, users will be warned if the scammer tries to goad them into disabling Google Play Protect safeguards for installing malicious apps. Alerts will also be given mid-way through the call if a hustler tells users to sideload an app, or grant accessibility permissions. Going a step further, the Phone app will warn users to stop screen-sharing if it detects a suspicious pattern during the call. Google says its onboard AI detection systems in the Phone and Messages app have been trained to sniff toll, billing, crypto, finance, gift card, prize, and technical support scams. Interestingly, the best you get on Apple devices is blocking and reporting spammy texts and calls. There are no user-facing proactive detection and evasion techniques baked at the heart of iOS, or within Apple's default call and messaging app that comes pre-installed on iPhones. In a nutshell, if you're wary of the ever-expanding scope of call and message-driven scams, invest in an Android phone. And while at it, I'd recommend one of Google's Pixel smartphones to ensure that you get early access to all the safety tools implemented in their best shape. It's just odd to see Google taking the lead with Android safety, while iPhones are riding high on a reputation built years ago, but little to show up for it in terms of innovations in recent times.
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Google might redesign Phone app with new call answering options: Details
Google might be planning to redesign the Phone app. According to a report by 9To5Google, the US technology company might replace the 'Swipe up to answer' (vertical) gesture with two options, the first being 'Swipe right to answer' and the second being 'Tap to accept/deny.' As per 9To5Google, earlier last year, Google experimented with simplified 'Decline' and 'Answer' buttons for certain users, featuring red and green circular icons similar to those on Wear OS. More recently, Google's Phone app began developing a pill-shaped interface that lets users swipe left to decline and right to answer calls. As per the report, it was introduced in March with version 166, but has not yet been officially launched. Users who came across these under-testing features assumed that the tap to decline or answer buttons would get replaced with the horizontal pill-shaped interface. However, as per a report by Android Police, Google might just keep both options in the Phone app. In related news, Google is introducing an AI-powered feature to Drive that can analyse video files to provide summaries and answer questions about their content. Previously, this capability helped users by summarising documents and PDFs within Google Drive, removing the need to manually review these files. Now, it extends to video content, allowing users to avoid watching long meeting recordings or classes by receiving concise summaries instead.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business Standard
Nothing to ditch signature glyph lighting system on Phone 3: What to expect
Nothing has also shared a close-up image of the Phone 3, likely revealing that the transparent back panel design will make a return New Delhi Nothing's upcoming flagship smartphone, the Phone 3, may not feature the company's signature Glyph Interface. Days after confirming a July launch for the Phone 3, the British consumer electronics brand posted on X (formerly Twitter): 'We killed the Glyph Interface.' The post strongly suggests that the upcoming smartphone will not include the signature rear LED lighting system — at least not in the same way as earlier models. The announcement was accompanied by a short video showing the Glyph Interface on the Phone (1) blinking a few times before fading to black. We killed the Glyph Interface. — Nothing (@nothing) May 29, 2025 The Glyph Interface was first introduced with the original Nothing Phone (1) in 2022 and has since made its way on every Nothing Phone model, apart from the CMF-branded smartphones. It allows users to receive face-down notification alerts, visual countdowns for timers, and even real-time app integration with services like Uber. Nothing Phone 3: What to expect Earlier this week, Nothing also shared a close-up image of the Phone 3, likely revealing a portion of its back panel. While the photo did not show much, it hinted that the transparent design — which has become a staple of Nothing phones — is likely to return. During The Android Show: I/O Edition, Nothing CEO Carl Pei previewed the Phone 3, although the device's design remained blurred. Pei described the upcoming Phone 3 as Nothing's first 'true flagship', suggesting a shift toward more premium materials such as metal and glass. Pei also hinted at a price increase, stating the device could cost around £800 (approximately Rs 90,000) — nearly double the launch price of the Phone (2), which debuted in 2023 at Rs 44,999. As for the specifications, Nothing Phone 3 may sport a 6.77-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits. It is expected to be powered by either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or the newer Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. For cameras, the Phone 3 is likely to feature a triple-lens rear set-up, including a 50MP main sensor, and a 32MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. A 5,000mAh battery is expected to power the device, with support for 50W wired and 20W wireless charging.
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
Nothing Phone (3) launch soon in India and here is everything we know about it so far
Amid numerous smartphone launches, did you realise it's been about two years since the Nothing Phone (2) came out? That was the company's last flagship phone, and since then, the London-based tech startup has focused instead on its mid-range A-series devices and building its affordable sub-brand, CMF. Since last year, it was widely expected that Nothing would launch the third-generation Nothing Phone, but nothing (no pun intended) materialised. The company instead went back to the drawing board, saying they would only launch the Phone (3) when the time is right. Source: Nothing India/ X (formerly Twitter) advertisementLooks like the time is now, as it's confirmed that the Nothing Phone (3) is all set to break cover in July, exactly two years after the Phone (2)'s launch. While we don't have an exact date yet, July is just a month away, so there's not much time left to see what Nothing has been cooking. Here's everything we know so far about the upcoming Nothing Phone (3).Nothing Phone (3): What to expectHonestly, not much is known yet about the Nothing Phone (3), even though we're so close to its official launch. But going by the rumour mill, we do have a certain idea of what to expect. Carl Pei likes to be in the limelight, and we often see him making videos around Nothing products on the company's official YouTube channel. In one of the recent videos, he showed a blurred-out image of a phone, further stating that those who've been waiting for the Nothing Phone (3) might be sad to know that it won't be available at an affordable price, suggesting a significant price Evangelidis, Nothing's co-founder, also revealed in an X post that the upcoming Nothing Phone (3) will be the first true flagship the company has ever according to Carl Pei, the Phone (3) is going to cost around 800 Pounds, which roughly translates to Rs 92,000 in Indian currency. That's quite a jump, but not necessarily what we expect when the phone launches in India. The Nothing Phone (3) could be priced lower in the Indian market, adjusted to the purchasing power of Indian consumers, but still, don't expect it to be cheap. Industry experts are speculating a price tag of around Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000, which will be a notable hike considering the Nothing Phone (2) was priced between Rs 44,999 and Rs 54,999. Of course, we'll get to know the official pricing soon enough — just don't keep your hopes up for a budget-friendly has also confirmed that the Nothing Phone (3) will feature high-end materials, a major jump in performance, and software improvements aimed at delivering a better overall experience. Based on that — and the rumours — the Phone (3) is expected to come with a 6.77-inch AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 3,000 nits peak brightness. In terms of optics, the device is said to sport a 50-megapixel triple-camera setup on the back and a 32-megapixel front camera. There have also been rumours about a 5,000mAh battery, 50W fast wired charging, and 20W wireless charging most interesting rumour so far is that the Phone (3) could be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. That might have made complete sense had the phone launched last year, positioned as a next-generation upgrade to the Phone (2) with a slight price bump. But now, the Phone (2) is two years old, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is about 1.5 years old. With the Phone (3) being positioned as a true flagship, using the 8 Gen 3 — and pricing it around Rs 70,000 — would be a bold move. Considering the OnePlus 13, starting at Rs 69,999, and the iQOO 13, starting at Rs 54,999, both feature the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite the case may be, the Nothing Phone (3) is set to launch in July, and we should get all the answers soon.
