Not sure whether that phone call is from a scammer or a real business? 

The robocall scourge may have made you hesitant to pick up your cell phone when an unknown caller rings in—whether legitimate or not. However, Google is working on a new Android feature that promises to help users easily tell the good calls from the bad. 

The feature is called Verified Calls and it’s rolling out on the Phone app, which is usually pre-loaded on many Android smartphones. (You can also download it from the Google Play Store.) The feature will basically tell you when a legitimate business—such as a bank, airline company or food delivery service—is calling you, along with the reason why.

The function will also display legitimate calls with a "Verified" badge, indicating Google has authenticated the caller is real and not a fraudster. 

“We’ve been piloting Verified Calls for a few months, and the early results indicate that it improves the likelihood of someone answering a call,” the company wrote in a blog post. “This in turn helps reduce business costs while identifying relevant calls to people in a trustworthy way.”

During the pilot, Google noticed the feature has been helping banks reach customers about suspected fraudulent transactions on their accounts. Food delivery and shipping companies have also been using Verified Calls to notify customers about their deliveries. 

Google didn't spell out how it's authenticating legitimate businesses. But the company told PCMag that safeguards are in place to prevent fraudsters and spammers from infiltrating the program. Calls will also be verified in real time, preventing spoofing. 

However, it’ll be up third-party businesses to enroll in the program. To do this, Google is partnering with over a dozen voice messaging companies, such as Neustar and JustCall, to help brands integrate with the Verified Calls system. 

But wait, what about user privacy? Indeed, Verified Calls does mean Google can theoretically log which businesses are calling you and for what reason. However, the company says it won’t be collecting or storing any personally identifiable information after each call is verified. 

“Within minutes of verification, Google deletes your phone number and the call reason from the Verified Calls server,” the company added in a support document. 

The Verified Calls feature is first arriving in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, and India before it rolls out to more countries. However, the company points out calls without the verified badge won’t necessarily be spam. It may just mean the business didn’t enroll in the program. 

The Verified Calls feature will be turned on by default on the Phone app. However, you can turn it off by going into the app’s settings.

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