Anyone who has been paying attention to WhatsApp in recent years knows that it’s constantly updating. The latest new feature? Truecaller integration, according to a report by Reuters.
This time, the update isn’t being made by Meta directly. The spam-hunting app, a favourite of smartphone users looking to dodge robocalls, intends to expand its beat to messaging apps as well. The idea, as ever, is to limit the reach of spam phone calls.
Truecaller finds its true calling?
According to company head Alan Mamedi, the feature that will integrate the spam-spotting app with messaging apps capable of making and receiving calls is currently in beta. The launch of the update will take place sometime in May, though no specific date was provided.
The need for the update appears to be related to an uptick in phone call spam in India. “Over the last two weeks, we have seen a spike in user reports from India about spam calls over WhatsApp,” said Memedi.
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The country makes heavy use of WhatsApp as a calling platform. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has directed service providers there to block nuisance calls on their networks — something Truecaller is currently working on setting up for them. Should telemarketers catch on to the Big New Thing™ elsewhere, they’ll find that systems are already in place to make life more difficult for them.