According to Google, Verified Calls help you make informed decisions about incoming calls. And a lot of companies, including Twilio, have introduced similar offerings that help users avoid scams and fraud, in many instances. Google told The Verge, it is piloting the feature in Brazil, adding, “As we’re currently piloting this feature, we don’t have specific information to share regarding general availability.” Google said the feature “helps people understand the true identity of a business calling them.”
The new feature could soon make its way to other parts of the world, and it could be immensely helpful to those who use Google's phone app. It does rely on businesses to remain proactive and send information for verification to enable the following:
- Verify the business caller’s identity
- Display the business’s reason for calling
- Display the business’s logo
According to Google's website, privacy should be of no concern, as it says, "To keep your data private, Google doesn't share sensitive information about you with our business partners. Within minutes of verification, Google deletes your phone number and the call reason from the Verified Calls server." So, how does it work?
Before a business calls you, it sends Google’s dedicated 'Verified Calls' server the company's phone number, your phone number, and quite possibly the coolest feature, the call the company's reason for calling you. This information's sent to the Google Phone app on your device and the information's compared to the verified information from the business -- if it is a match, the all appear as "verified." Verified Calls are set to 'on' by default, but this can be managed manually and switched to the 'off' position.
