iPhone Call Screening in iOS 26: how it works
iPhone Call Screening, new in iOS 26, asks callers who aren’t in your contacts why they’re calling before your iPhone rings, then shows you the answer so you can pick up or ignore it. Turn it on in Settings, Apps, Phone, Screen Unknown Callers, Ask Reason for Calling.
It runs on your iPhone, so it stops when your iPhone is off, and while you’re roaming. Vicem is an AI on its own number that answers those calls.
Updated Checked on October 12, 2026
How do I turn it on?
- Open Settings, then tap Apps.Apple support, Manage unknown callers on iPhone (September 14, 2026)
- Tap Phone.Apple support, Manage unknown callers on iPhone (September 14, 2026)
- Tap Screen Unknown Callers, then choose Ask Reason for Calling.Apple support, Manage unknown callers on iPhone (September 14, 2026)
What do the three settings do?
- Never: calls from numbers you haven’t saved ring like any other call.Apple support, Manage unknown callers on iPhone (September 14, 2026)
- Ask Reason for Calling: the caller is asked why they’re calling before your phone rings.Apple support, Manage unknown callers on iPhone (September 14, 2026)
- Silence: those calls are silenced and sent to voicemail.Apple support, Manage unknown callers on iPhone (September 14, 2026)
- Apple: Call Screening gathers information from the caller so you can decide whether to pick up.Apple Newsroom, iOS 26 (June 9, 2025)
Where does it stop?
- Roaming: “If you’re roaming, phone calls are not screened, regardless of settings.”Apple support, Manage unknown callers on iPhone (September 14, 2026)
- Phone off: if your iPhone is off or out of range, the call goes to your phone company’s voicemail.Apple, iPhone User Guide: set up voicemail
- Languages: Apple lists nine, from Cantonese, English and French to Portuguese and Spanish.Apple, iOS feature availability: Call Screening
- Emergencies: after you call emergency services, call screening turns off for 24 hours.Apple support, Manage unknown callers on iPhone (September 14, 2026)
- It asks and shows; you still take or ignore the call yourself, and it gives you no number of its own.
| Question | iPhone Call Screening | Vicem |
|---|---|---|
| Price | iPhone Call ScreeningComes with iOS 26 | VicemFrom $24 a month. Free for 14 days. |
| Languages it answers in | iPhone Call ScreeningNine, in Apple’s list | Vicem37 languages |
| A number of its own to give out | iPhone Call ScreeningNo | VicemYes, with an email and a page |
| Works with your phone off | iPhone Call ScreeningNo: your phone company’s voicemail takes the call | VicemYes |
| Tells callers it’s an AI | iPhone Call ScreeningNot stated on Apple’s pages | VicemYes, on every call |
Checked on October 12, 2026
When is Vicem the next step?
When the calls that matter come while your iPhone can’t screen them.
- You travel, or your phone is often off or flat.
- Your callers speak one of the 37 languages Vicem answers in, beyond Apple’s nine.
- You want callers answered and helped, not just asked and left waiting.
- Set Screen Unknown Callers to Silence and turn off Live Voicemail, so the calls your iPhone silences reach Vicem.
What do people ask?
Does iPhone Call Screening work when my phone is off?
No. Apple says that when your iPhone is off or out of range, the call goes to your phone company’s voicemail.
Does iPhone Call Screening work abroad?
No. Apple says: “If you’re roaming, phone calls are not screened, regardless of settings.”
Which languages does iPhone Call Screening speak?
Apple lists nine: Cantonese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish.
Can I use Call Screening with Vicem?
Yes. Set Screen Unknown Callers to Silence and turn off Live Voicemail, so the calls your iPhone silences reach Vicem. Ask Reason for Calling answers on the iPhone first, so those calls never reach Vicem.