It’s surprising just how many of the phone calls we get are either spam or scams. I know that most of us won’t even pick up a phone unless it’s someone from the contacts. We usually let it to go to the voicemail.

In iOS 10, Apple is doing two things to make this an easier process. Firstly, there’s a new CallKit API that lets apps like Truecaller to alert you when a phone number has been tagged as a spammer. Another thing is a new transcription feature. Now you’ll be able to get a sense of what the voicemail is about before even listening to it.

How Transcription Works

As long as the person on the other side is speaking resonantly slowly and clearly, iOS 10 will be able to transcribe what they’re saying, word for work. If there are any breaks, you’ll see blanks there. Even if the transcription feature isn’t 100% accurate, it’s enough to give you an idea for what the message is going to be about. If you read the first 1-2 lines, you’ll know if the message is a spam, and you can delete it, or if it’s an important message, then you can choose to listen to it.

Does Your Carrier Support Visual Voicemail?

This feature is dependent on a carrier feature called Visual Voicemail. Major carriers like AT&T do support the feature. If your carrier doesn’t support it, you won’t get access to this feature.

How To Access Voicemail Transcriptions

To access voicemail, go to the “Phone” app and then tap on “Voicemail“.

You’ll then see a list of all your voicemails. Tap on a voicemail and it will expand to show the transcription text right there. Once you read it, you can choose to play the message using the “Play” button below.

Your Favorite iOS 10 Feature?

What’s your favorite new iOS 10 feature? Share with us in the comments below.