Google Phone is a bare-bones calling app, free of unwanted gimmicks that tend to weigh down some other feature-rich apps. For many, that is exactly the way a calling app should be, while others prefer third-party applications that host a variety of useful improvements to the basic dialer. But continual updates and new features have ensured that Google Phone covers its bases without moving away from its minimalist style. 

Here’s how you can enable its Caller ID Announcement feature which provides a massive improvement in terms of accessibility and privacy. What does it do and how can you enable it? Let’s find out.

Enable Caller ID Announcement on Google Phone App on Android

With the Caller ID Announcement feature, the name and number of the caller will be announced aloud every time you get a call and your phone is not on silent mode. Let’s see how you can enable it.

  1. Open the Google Phone app and tap on the three-dot menu option at the top right corner.
  2. Tap on Settings.
  3. Here, tap on Caller ID Announcement.
  4. By default, this option is set to Never. To start using it, tap on it.
  5. Then choose Always or Only when using a headset if you’d rather not have the world know who’s calling you.

That’s it. You have enabled the Caller ID Announcement feature on your native Phone app. The feature is still being rolled out so don’t fret if you don’t see it in the app’s settings just yet.

What is the Caller ID Announcement good for?

With the feature turned on, you don’t even have to look at your phone to find out who it is that’s calling you. This is of immense use in situations when you’re within earshot of your phone and want to decide whether it’s worth the trouble of receiving the call.

Of course, this feature will benefit the visually impaired the most since they depend on audio and voice commands to use their phones. It will also, in conjunction with spam filters, make the whole process of keeping unwanted callers at bay and secure your privacy just a bit better. 

Although, admittedly, this feature isn’t as impressive as Google’s automatic call screening, since the latter is only available for Pixel users in the US, Caller ID Announcement is quite a welcome addition to bolster privacy regardless of where you are and which Android device you own.

Besides, being an accessibility feature at its core, it is more a quality-of-life improvement to the Phone app than anything else. Nevertheless, such features may just be what Android users might need to ditch third-party applications in favor of the native calling app.