AT&T’s Latest Tool To Fight Robocalls Tells You Why A Business Is Calling

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Last year, AT&T and TransUnion launched a service called Branded Call Display that allows businesses to make branded calls. If you got a call from a business that opted into the program, you’d see its brand name and logo on your phone’s screen. This way it’s easier to tell if it’s a robocaller or a real business on the line. Now that feature is being expanded to tell you why a business is calling.

Today, AT&T and TransUnion announced that wireless customers will start to see the reason why a business is calling them. You won’t need to download an app or do anything as this is part of the STIR/SHAKEN call authentication protocol, which helps carriers identify spam calls.

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

With this new function, if a business were to call you, it can choose to display a message like “refill reminder,” “delivery service,” or “patient callback.” This message will be shown on the call details page, helping you decide whether to pick up the phone or not. So if you were to order something off of DoorDash or Grubhub, theoretically, once you got a call, you’d know that your driver is waiting at the door.

When Branded Call Display rolled out, it was a service that was only available to Android devices. Since reason for a call is an expansion of Branded Call Display, only Android owners will see this new feature. However, things may change in the future according to James Garvert, the SVP of TruContact Communications Solutions at TransUnion. “We expect that capability to become standard on all mobile devices over time,” Garvert told The Verge.

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