This feature prevents unwanted calls when using Android Auto

An unknown phone number appearing on your dashboard creates an annoying choice: should you ignore a call that might be important or answer a call that might be spam? Google’s Call Screen gives you another option by having Call Assist answer first, ask who’s calling and why, and then help you decide if you should pick up. Google says Android Auto now lets your phone use the call screen in the car, but the filtering itself remains a feature of the phone.

The call screen can work manually or automatically. With manual screening, you choose Screen Call when an unknown call arrives. Call Assist asks who’s calling and why, shows you a live transcript, and lets you answer, hang up, or send a suggested response.

Automatic screening requires even less interaction. On supported Pixel phones, Call Assist can silently screen certain unknown or suspicious calls. If it determines that a call is spam, the phone hangs up. Otherwise, the phone may ring and show you information about the caller’s response.

This is the most relevant version for avoiding distracted driving. Instead of deciding whether an unknown number is worth answering as soon as it appears, your phone can handle the initial conversation first.

Google also says that Call Screen works on the device itself and doesn’t need Wi-Fi or mobile data. The company also notes that call audio and transcripts are not saved to your Google Account, your Google Assistant activity, or your web and app activity.

You configure call screening in the Phone by Google app, not in Android Auto. Google’s instructions ask you to open the Phone appfaucet Morethen go to Settings, followed by Spam and call filter Or Call screen. From there, select Call screen.

The exact controls depend on which Pixel you have. On the Pixel 7 and newer models, where auto-filtering is available, Google lets you turn on auto-filtering and choose a level of protection for categories like spam, possibly spoofed numbers, and new calls. Pixel 6 and earlier models use unknown call settings to choose which types of callers to screen.

Google currently does not offer a separate setup procedure for Call Screen for Android Auto. Its Android Auto documentation states that using Phone by Google as the default calling app brings some of the app’s smart calling features into the car.

Android Auto compatibility and call screen availability are separate things, and it’s useful to think of them in two layers. First, Android Auto itself has its own requirements. It works via USB on phones running Android 9 or later, while Android Auto Wireless typically requires Android 11 or later as well as 5GHz Wi-Fi support. Meeting these requirements only means that your phone can run Android Auto; this does not guarantee access to Call Screen.

Second, call screening depends on your phone model and region. Google offers automatic call screening on Pixel phones in the United States. Manual filtering is available on Pixel devices in countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States. Some select Android devices in the United States and Canada may also use manual filtering, but Google does not publish a complete list of supported models.

In other words, no Android version guarantees the Call Screen feature. Support also depends on phone and region.

It’s also worth noting that not all “call screening” features are the same. Samsung, for example, includes its own call screening feature on some Galaxy devices, but it’s separate from Google’s Call Screen and only works through Samsung’s Phone app. Samsung does not currently document its version as available through Android Auto, while Google does not clearly list which, if any, Samsung models support Google’s own Call Screen.

Finally, there are some practical limitations. Auto Call Screen may not work on some phones when Bluetooth is connected, and it does not work when roaming. These behaviors are not fully documented per model, so actual performance may vary.