In context: Everybody hates spam calls, but finally, after years of waiting, regulators, mobile carriers, and tech giants alike have begun to combat the frustrating practice. One of the most popular methods of doing so is to label shady calls as potentially dangerous, or even block them outright, as companies like Samsung and AT&T have done.
Soon, Google Fi will be the latest cellular provider to offer this type of functionality. In an update expected to arrive over the weekend, Google will automatically label suspicious numbers as spam when they come in, allowing users to ignore them with greater confidence.
As you may or may not know, all it takes is one human answer for your number to get added to a scam or spam caller's list. This has led some individuals to simply ignore calls from numbers they don't recognize, but that's not ideal, either. This update should provide an extra layer of protection, at the very least.
At any rate, several other features will be arriving alongside the new spam call warning feature. These features include the ability to block specific numbers across all Fi-compatible devices (even iPhones) as well as expanded VPN and WiFi calling availability for Android phones.
If you've never heard of Google Fi before, it's Google's take on traditional phone plans. Like Google Fiber, Fi is presented as a fairer and more straightforward service than its competitors. There are no contracts or cancellation fees, international data and texts are free, and Bill Protection puts a cap on the amount of money you'll have to spend in a single billing cycle.
If you want to give the service a whirl, Fi's Unlimited plan will run you about $70/month, and the "Flexible" plan starts at $20/month but goes up by an extra $10 for every gig of data you consume (stopping at 6GB; data used after that is free).
https://www.techspot.com/news/83123-google-fi-soon-label-shady-calls-uspected-spam.html
