The short answer.
Call screening on Samsung and other Android phones
On a Samsung Galaxy, Text call (once called Bixby Text Call) is in the Phone app under More options › Settings › Text call. It isn’t automatic: when a call rings, you tap Call assist, then Text call, and Bixby answers in an automated voice and shows you the caller’s words as text. On One UI 8.5 or later, Call screening can also answer unknown callers for you.
Pixel’s Call Screen is in Google’s Phone app, on Pixel phones. Vicem answers the calls you don’t pick up and tells you who called and why. Vicem works on any phone.
Updated Checked on October 14, 2026
In Samsung’s words.
What is Bixby Text Call (Call Assist)?
- Samsung: with Text call, “your calls will be answered by Bixby’s automated voice.” You type or pick a quick response, and Bixby reads it to the caller.Samsung US support, Use Bixby text call on your Galaxy phone
- You don’t hear the caller: Samsung says you read their words on screen, and the caller hears only the automated voice.Samsung US support, Use Bixby text call on your Galaxy phone
- Samsung says Bixby lets the caller know you’re using an automated voice.Samsung US support, Use Bixby text call on your Galaxy phone
- It works on calls you make, too, and each conversation is saved: in Recents, a speech bubble marks the calls with a transcript.Samsung US support, Use Bixby text call on your Galaxy phone
- Call screening, on One UI 8.5 or later, goes one step further: Samsung says the AI answers, asks the caller to say why they’re calling, and shows a live transcript.Samsung US support, Use Call screening on your Samsung phone
As Samsung lists them, read October 14, 2026.
Which Galaxy phones and languages have it?
- Samsung doesn’t list which models have Text call on its US page; it says menu options vary by device model and OS version.Samsung US support, Use Bixby text call on your Galaxy phone
- When Text call came to English in February 2023, Samsung named the Galaxy S23, S23+, S23 Ultra, Z Fold4 and Z Flip4 among the models, with One UI 5.1 or later for English and One UI 4.1.1 or later for Korean.Samsung Global Newsroom, Samsung Announces Enhancement of Bixby (February 22, 2023)
- Call screening needs a Galaxy phone on Android 16 with One UI 8.5 or later; Samsung names the Galaxy S26 series and other compatible models.Samsung US support, Use Call screening on your Samsung phone
- Samsung UK lists the Call screening languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Polish, Vietnamese and Hindi.Samsung UK support, How to use AI Call Screening Assistant on Samsung Galaxy S26 (updated April 2, 2026)
Samsung Phone app.
How do I turn it on?
- Open the Phone app, tap More options (the three dots), then Settings.Samsung US support, Use Bixby text call on your Galaxy phone
- Tap Text call and turn on the switch. If asked, download the language pack.Samsung US support, Use Bixby text call on your Galaxy phone
- In the same screen, tap Language and Voice to choose what the caller hears.Samsung US support, Use Bixby text call on your Galaxy phone
- On One UI 8.5 or later, go back to Settings, tap Call screening and turn it on. Turn on Auto screen calls to screen unknown callers without tapping anything.Samsung US support, Use Call screening on your Samsung phone
- When a call rings, tap Call assist, then Text call or Call screening.Samsung US support, Use Bixby text call on your Galaxy phoneSamsung US support, Use Call screening on your Samsung phone
Can I get Pixel Call Screen on a Samsung?
Google’s help lists Call Screen for Pixel phones; Galaxy phones have Samsung’s own Call screening instead.
- Google: automatic Call Screen works on Pixel phones in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the US.Google, Phone app Help: Screen your calls before you answer them
- Google says manual Call Screen is “also available in the US and Canada on selected Android devices,” and doesn’t name them.Google, Phone app Help: Screen your calls before you answer them
- On a Galaxy, the closest match is Samsung’s Call screening, in the Samsung Phone app on One UI 8.5 or later.Samsung US support, Use Call screening on your Samsung phone
Phone by Google.
What about other Android phones?
- Google’s Phone app has Caller ID & spam protection: it names callers outside your contacts and warns you about likely spam. Google turns it on by default.Google, Phone app Help: Use caller ID & spam protection
- Filter spam calls, in the same menu, keeps flagged calls from ringing; Google says they still show in your call history.Google, Phone app Help: Use caller ID & spam protection
- Google notes that some of these steps work only on Android 6.0 and up.Google, Phone app Help: Use caller ID & spam protection
What still gets through?
- Samsung’s steps start with you tapping Call assist when a call comes in, so a call you don’t see isn’t screened unless Auto screen calls is on.Samsung UK support, How to use AI Call Screening Assistant on Samsung Galaxy S26 (updated April 2, 2026)Samsung US support, Use Call screening on your Samsung phone
- Samsung: a missed call can appear with no ring because the AI answered an unsaved number on its own and the caller hung up, with no missed-call alert.Samsung US support, Use Call screening on your Samsung phone
- On a Pixel, Google says “Not all spam calls and robocalls can be detected.”Google, Phone app Help: Screen your calls before you answer them
- Faked numbers: the FTC says “Scammers can make any name or number show up on your caller ID,” so a scam call from a clean or local-looking number still rings.FTC, Phone Scams
- Samsung says standard call rates from your provider may apply while a call is screened.Samsung US support, Use Call screening on your Samsung phone
How do I use it with Vicem?
Forward the calls you don’t answer, and the ones that come in while you’re on another call, to your Vicem number.
- On a Galaxy: open Phone, tap More options, Settings, Supplementary services, then Call forwarding. Set Forward when unanswered and Forward when busy to your Vicem number.Samsung US support, Calling features on your Galaxy phone
- Samsung says these options can vary by phone company and phone model.Samsung US support, Calling features on your Galaxy phone
- Samsung says Auto screen calls answers unsaved numbers on its own. A call your phone has answered isn’t unanswered, so turn Auto screen calls off if calls don’t reach Vicem.Samsung US support, Use Call screening on your Samsung phone
- Test it: call your number from a phone that isn’t in your contacts, let it ring, and let Vicem pick up.
What does Vicem do with the calls you miss?
Vicem is an AI with its own number. It answers the calls you miss, says it’s an AI, and turns scam callers away.
- Junk calls and texts are handled without interrupting you.
- Spam calls it turns away never count against your minutes.
- Works when your phone is off.
- Vicem costs from $24 a month, your US or Canadian number included. Free for 3 days.
What do people ask?
What is Call assist on a Samsung phone?
The button you tap on a ringing call in the Samsung Phone app. It holds Text call, once called Bixby Text Call, and on One UI 8.5 or later Call screening.
Does Samsung screen calls automatically?
On One UI 8.5 or later, it can: turn on Auto screen calls under Phone, Settings, Call screening. On older Galaxy phones, Text call answers only when you tap it.
Can I get Pixel Call Screen on a Samsung phone?
Google lists Call Screen for Pixel phones. It says manual screening also works on selected Android devices in the US and Canada, but doesn’t name them. Galaxy phones have Samsung’s own Call screening.
What happens to the calls I don’t answer?
They go to voicemail unless you forward them. Forward unanswered and busy calls to Vicem, and it answers, says it’s an AI, and tells you who called and why.