Latest news with #callScreening
CNET
3 days ago
- CNET
How to Block Spam Calls and Turn On Call Screening in the iOS 26 Beta
Apple released the third public beta of iOS 26 on Aug. 14. The update brought a handful of new features, like a new Liquid Glass design and the ability to change your alarm's snooze length, to the iPhones of developers and beta testers. It also let developers and beta testers stop spam calls from bothering them with a new call screening feature. Call screening isn't an Apple Intelligence feature, so any iOS 26 compatible iPhone, like the iPhone 14 Pro, will get this feature when Apple releases the iPhone update this fall. But you have to enable this feature first. I enabled the feature early in the beta process, and my iPhone has diligently held back spam calls, like the Hoover Dam. Just remember, Apple is still beta testing iOS 26. That means the update might be buggy for you, and your device's battery life could be affected, so it's best to keep those troubles off your primary device. If you want to try out the beta, I recommend downloading it on a secondary device. It's also possible that Apple could adjust call screening, and other update features, before the final version of iOS 26 is released this fall. If you want to try it out today, here's how to turn call screening on in iOS 26 in a few easy steps. How to turn call screening on your iPhone 1. Tap Settings. 2. Tap Apps near the bottom of the menu. 3. Tap Phone. Under the section Screen Unknown Callers, you'll see three options: Never, Ask Reason for Calling and Silence. Here's what you should know about each of these options and which one is right for most people. Which call screening option should you choose? Choosing Never lets calls from unsaved numbers come through and ring on your phone. It also lets missed calls be documented in your Recents list in your Phone app, just like before call screening was available. This is your Phone app's default option. Apple/CNET If you tap Ask Reason for Calling, your iPhone will ask anyone who calls you from an unsaved number the reason for their call without ringing your iPhone. After the caller answers a few questions, your iPhone will notify you with a transcript of the caller's answers. Then you can decide whether you want to answer the call or not. You can also pick Silence, which is the nuclear option for phone calls. Any unsaved number that calls you will be silenced and sent to voicemail, no questions asked. Ask Reason for Calling is the best option for most people who want to screen calls. I chose it, and while it notified me when scam callers answered some questions, which they rarely did, it also notified me when my doctor's office called to go over some test results. If I had chosen Silence, I would have missed my doctor's office, and choosing Never" would mean checking every call if I was expecting something important. If you choose Ask Reason for Calling and dislike it, you can always follow the steps above again and choose one of the other options. And remember, you can always silence your iPhone and not be bothered by any phone calls . My wife has not taken her phone off silent in months and she remains blissfully unbothered by spam calls. For more on iOS 26, these are my first impressions of the iOS beta version, how to reduce the Liquid Glass effects in the beta and all the new ringtones Apple said it will bring to your device later this year.
CNET
5 days ago
- CNET
iOS 26 Is Almost Here but Here's Everything You Need to Know About iOS 18
Apple announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June that it will release iOS 26 this fall. That update will bring a new Liquid Glass design, call screening and more to your iPhone. But before the tech giant releases iOS 26, here's everything you should know about iOS 18. Apple released iOS 18 to the general public in 2024, a week after the company announced its new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10 and more at its "Glowtime" event. Since then, Apple has released more updates that bring Apple Intelligence, such as Genmoji and Image Playground, to certain iPhones models, such as the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max and the iPhone 16 lineup -- including the iPhone 16E. We've put together this cheat sheet to help you explore and make the most of the latest features in iOS 18. Check back periodically to see what future iOS 18 updates could bring to your iPhone. Want a full breakdown of everything Apple announced last month, including the new iOS 26 and its eye-catching Liquid Glass design? Here's everything you missed at WWDC 2025. Don't miss any of CNET's unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome. iOS 18 updates Using iOS 18 Getting started with iOS 18 Check back here later for more updates on iOS 18 and how to use the new features in the OS. You can also check out our iPhone 16, 16 Pro and 16E reviews.
CNET
5 days ago
- CNET
Thank You Apple for Fixing the Camera Navigation in the Latest iOS 26 Beta
Apple released the third public beta of iOS 26 on Aug. 14. It brought new features, including Liquid Glass design and call screening, to developers' and beta testers' iPhones. Thankfully, it also reverted the way you switch between photo modes in your Camera app. With Apple's redesign of the Camera app in the iOS 26 beta, the company had initially inverted the way you navigate between camera modes. So, after years of swiping in one direction to get to a photo mode, imagine my surprise when I swiped and was sent to video mode instead. In an earlier beta, the tech giant introduced an option in Settings called Classic Mode Switching, letting you switch between Camera modes like you did before the iOS 26 beta. In the latest beta, Apple scrapped that option and kept the pre-iOS 26 beta navigation method. I welcome this revision. It's a prime example of why software goes through a beta process. While Apple might release a feature as part of a beta, the company could get rid of that feature if it causes too many problems or people don't like it. That's great. It was too jarring to be sent in the opposite direction in the Camera app after years of learned behavior. "I want to go to portrait mode, iPhone!" I said while using the earlier beta. "Well, that's too damn bad!" I imagined my iPhone responding as it sent me to video mode instead. I imagine others didn't like the Camera modes in prior iOS 26 betas, either. So, I'd like to thank the folks at Apple for pulling the plug on this change. And please don't bring it back. Apple is still beta testing iOS 26, so it's possible the company could adjust or remove other features before the stable version is released this fall. If you're interested in testing out the latest software versions before the official launch, it's wise to use a secondary device or spare phone. The update might be buggy, and your battery life may be affected, and it's better not to risk damaging your primary device. For more on iOS 26, here are my first impressions of the iOS version, how to enable call screening in the beta and all the other new features Apple said the update will bring to your device later this year.
CNET
12-08-2025
- CNET
This iOS 26 Feature Lets You Stop iPhone Spam Calls In a Few Easy Steps
Apple released the second public beta of iOS 26 on Aug. 7. The update brought a handful of new features, like a new Liquid Glass design and the ability to change your alarm's snooze length, to the iPhones of developers and beta testers. It also gave developers and beta testers an easy way to stop spam callers from bothering them with a new call screening feature. Call screening isn't an Apple Intelligence feature, so any iOS 26 compatible iPhone, like the iPhone 14 Pro, will get this feature when Apple releases the iPhone update this fall. But you have to enable this feature first. I enabled the feature early in the beta process, and my iPhone has diligently held back spam calls, like the Hoover Dam. Just remember, Apple is still beta testing iOS 26. That means the update might be buggy for you, and your device's battery life could be affected, so it's best to keep those troubles off your primary device. If you want to try out the beta, I recommend downloading it on a secondary device. It's also possible that Apple could adjust call screening, and other update features, before the final version of iOS 26 is released this fall. If you want to try it out today, here's how to turn call screening on in iOS 26 in a few easy steps. How to turn call screening on your iPhone 1. Tap Settings. 2. Tap Apps near the bottom of the menu. 3. Tap Phone. Under the section Screen Unknown Callers, you'll see three options: Never, Ask Reason for Calling and Silence. Here's what you should know about each of these options and which one is right for most people. Which call screening option should you choose? Choosing Never lets calls from unsaved numbers come through and ring on your phone. It also lets missed calls be documented in your Recents list in your Phone app, just like before call screening was available. This is your Phone app's default option. Apple/CNET If you tap Ask Reason for Calling, your iPhone will ask anyone who calls you from an unsaved number the reason for their call without ringing your iPhone. After the caller answers a few questions, your iPhone will notify you with a transcript of the caller's answers. Then you can decide whether you want to answer the call or not. You can also pick Silence, which is the nuclear option for phone calls. Any unsaved number that calls you will be silenced and sent to voicemail, no questions asked. Ask Reason for Calling is the best option for most people who want to screen calls. I chose it, and while it notified me when scam callers answered some questions, which they rarely did, it also notified me when my doctor's office called to go over some test results. If I had chosen Silence, I would have missed my doctor's office, and choosing Never" would mean checking every call if I was expecting something important. If you choose Ask Reason for Calling and dislike it, you can always follow the steps above again and choose one of the other options. And remember, you can always silence your iPhone and not be bothered by any phone calls . My wife has not taken her phone off silent in months and she remains blissfully unbothered by spam calls. For more on iOS 26, these are my first impressions of the iOS beta version, how to reduce the Liquid Glass effects in the beta and all the new features Apple said it will bring to your device later this year.
CNET
07-08-2025
- CNET
Want a Little More Sleep? Try This iOS 26 Alarm Trick
Apple released the first public beta of iOS 26 on July 24, which brought a new Liquid Glass design, call screening, and other features to developers' and beta testers' iPhones. It also updated the alarm feature in the clock app so you can change your snooze length, affording you a few more z's before you get up and tackle the day. Prior to this change, if you hit your iPhone alarm's snooze feature, you would always get an extra 9 minutes of shut-eye. With the iOS 26 beta, you can customize your snooze length and get as little as 1 minute or up to 15 minutes of additional sleep. Apple is still beta testing iOS 26, and the update might be buggy. Your device's battery life may also be affected, so it's best to keep those troubles off your primary device. If you want to try out the beta, I recommend downloading it on a secondary device. It's also possible that Apple could adjust the snooze length feature, and other update features, before the final version of iOS 26 is released this fall. Whether you need to catch yourself before you doze off again or you require a few extra minutes of sleep, here's how to change your alarm's snooze length to better fit your needs. How to change your alarm's snooze length Apple/Screenshot by CNET 1. Tap your Clock app. 2. Tap Alarms near the bottom of your screen. 3. Tap the plus (+) sign in the top right corner of your screen. 4. Tap Snooze Duration and pick anywhere between 1 and 15 minutes. 5. Finish setting your alarm and tap the check mark in the top right corner of your screen. You can also change the snooze length of an existing alarm by long-pressing it, tapping Snooze Duration and choosing a new time. You can choose 1 minute and have your alarm go off almost immediately after you hit the snooze button, or you can choose 15 minutes and try to finish that dream. Either way, don't hit the snooze button too often, or your partner might angrily wake you up and kick you out of bed. Should you give yourself a shorter or longer snooze time? That's hard to say. Some sources say that taking more than the traditional 9-minute snooze could make waking up more difficult, while others say up to 30 minutes of extra snooze time is fine. "Once you get past the 10-minute mark, your body can start to fall back into a deep sleep, which will make waking up again difficult and more unpleasant," Holly Schiff, a licensed clinical psychologist, told Reader's Digest in 2021. However, a 2023 study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that an extra 30 minutes of sleep improved or had no effect on habitual snoozers' cognitive performance immediately upon waking compared to being abruptly woken. So there isn't clear data on whether a shorter or longer snooze is better for you. If you feel worse with more snooze time, maybe try less, and vice versa. That is, if your pet doesn't wake you up to go potty or for food when your alarm goes off the first time. For more on iOS 26, here are my first impressions of the iOS version, how to enable call screening in the beta and all the other new features Apple said the update will bring to your device later this year.
