Truecaller Introduces AI-Powered Message IDs for Filtering Messages from Verified Businesses

Truecaller on Monday released a new feature which is aimed at aiding users in filtering out authentic messages in an inbox increasingly filled with spam texts. Dubbed Message IDs, it leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to scan the SMS inbox and identify messages like, but not limited to, OTPs, delivery updates, ticket booking status, and more, from verified businesses. As per Truecaller, these messages are displayed with a green check mark in the inbox.

Message IDs on Truecaller

Truecaller says it has introduced Message IDs in India and 30 other countries. This feature leverages AI and large language models (LLMs) to carry out on-device scanning of the SMS inbox to identify important business messages. The company emphasises that the user data stays safe due to on-device processing.

Message IDs on Truecaller are not limited to Premium subscribers but available for all. It is introduced with support for several global and Indian languages including English, Hindi, Swahili, and Spanish.

As per the company, it requires the “Read SMS” and “Display Over Other Apps” permissions to provide real-time notifications of critical alerts. To differentiate legit messages from scam or spoofed ones, Truecaller has introduced Green Message IDs. These appear with a check mark to confirm that the received message is from a legitimate and verified business. This includes messages from bank alerts, OTPs, delivery updates, flight itineraries, and payment reminders.

In addition to the above, Truecaller can detect and highlight other important messages too, even if they fall outside of the conventional SMS category. Message IDs also summarise the key details in messages leveraging AI and highlight what's important, enabling the user to take quick action. It appears above the original text and carries the “AI generated summary” tag.

The introduction of AI-powered Message IDs on Truecaller builds upon the recent addition of API support for iPhone that enables features such as real-time caller identification and automatic blocking of spam telephone calls on Apple devices. This brings the iOS version of the app at par with its Android counterpart, which has offered the aforementioned features for years now.