We finally have free anti-robocall tools that work

"When I received a phone call from an unknown number this week, I didn't have to pick up the phone to find out it was a robocaller impersonating a utility company with an offer to reduce my bill. A robot spoke on my behalf and told me what the caller had said. I was testing a call-screening tool for iPhones that is included with Apple's iOS 26 software system, which arrived last month. Since activating the feature a few weeks ago, I've hardly noticed when calls from unfamiliar digits come in."

"Robocalls continue to be a problem because as soon as solutions emerge, scammers come up with new ways to harass us. Scam calls were momentarily in decline last year after phone carriers used technology to prevent them and regulators cracked down on robocaller operations. But the shady calls have been on the rise again this year, largely because new artificial intelligence made it easier to impersonate voices of people pretending to have information about student loans, credit reports and missed deliveries."

iOS 26 includes a built-in call-screening feature that intercepts calls from unfamiliar numbers and uses an automated voice to ask callers to state their purpose. The feature can answer on the user's behalf, relay the caller's response, and often prevent the phone from ringing for unknown calls. Google's Pixel phones have offered a similar function and Google expanded its availability to additional countries. Robocalls briefly declined after carrier and regulatory actions, but volumes have risen again as new AI tools make voice impersonation easier. Call-screening tools reduce interruptions but remain imperfect and require user activation.

Read at Boston.com