Truecaller gets payment support and Duo integration as it trickles to feature phones
For Truecaller, an app that offers real-time caller ID and spam protection, the past two years have been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. On one hand, the eight-year-old service continues to grow strongly in developing markets, and has also chalked out plans to attract people globally. On the other hand, several features that made Truecaller so popular are now shipping out of the box with iPhone and Android smartphones. So what does the Swedish company doing to survive in the market? Partnerships, mostly, it said today at an event in New Delhi. On Tuesday, Truecaller announced it has inked a deal with Google (no less), India’s giant ICICI Bank, and the country largest carrier (for now) Airtel to add more functionalities to its flagship app and push the service to more handsets. Truecaller is coming to all the feature phone users in India who’re on Airtel network, the company announced today. Dubbed "Airtel Truecaller ID", the feature will work without internet connectivity. Feature phone users will see a "flash" card appear seconds before they receive a call, Kim Fai Kok, Director of Communications at Truecaller explained to Mashableat a pre-release briefing. Even though feature phones are quickly disappearing from Western markets, they are still very popular in India. Last year alone, about 148 million such handsets shipped in the country, according to marketing research firm Counterpoint. Truecaller said it has entered into a strategic agreement with Google as part of which it will integrate Google Duo video calling option in Truecaller app. "This will add a crucial communications layer that strengthens the value of Truecaller’s wildly popular dialer, caller ID, and spam blocking app already used by more than 250 million users globally," the company said in a press statement. Trying to ride on India’s demonetisation wave, Truecaller said its app now allows users to transfer money to their friends. The feature will work for users who have an ICICI Bank account, or are registered to use UPI-based payment solutions. We asked the company how this feature works, and Kim clarified that the company has no intentions of using its platform as a "bucket" or an intermediary mobile wallet (think of Paytm). Instead, the company is using IMPS protocol to send the money to recipient’s account instantly. Users will see this option on both Android and iOS app of Truecaller starting today. Fai Kok added that the company is bringing some of the features of Truemessenger, another app from the Swedish company, to the flagship app. Truecaller app will become home to all text messages, too. The company’s executive didn’t share whether they intend to retire Truemessenger app, however. The second feature is called "flash message" which will allow Truecaller users to quickly pick one of the pre-defined messages and send it to their friends. The message will appear as a flash card, much like how real-time info appears on the screen. Unlike the pre-defined messages that users can quickly send to their friends when they receive a call on Android and iPhone, Truecaller’s flash messaging requires you to go to the app and send the message even when the person you want to send the message to isn’t calling you. In the months to come, Truecaller said it expects to give users the ability to send custom messages. The Truecaller app for Android is also getting a makeover, the company said. As for the iOS app, the company said it recently found a workaround to offer real-time caller ID for non-spam callers on iPhones. The feature however works in limited capacity. The company said real-time ID for all callers isn’t something that Apple permits right now on iOS. However, if the caller also has Truecaller app installed on the phone (Android, iOS, or Windows Phone), then the recipient on iOS will see their info. TopicsAndroidAppleiOSTruecaller on feature phones
Partnership with Google
Partnership with ICICI Bank
Bells and whistles
Featured Video For You
India Leads the World in Spam-Relaying Messages
相关推荐
-
Abrar Ahmed returns as Pakistan names squad for second Test against Bangladesh
-
Liam Gallagher asked someone to peel a potato live at his show
-
Twitter's search tool is blocking photo searches of 'bisexual'
-
Another Kevin Spacey project booted amid sexual assault allegations
-
What Ever Happened to Flickr?
-
Whistleblower to Congress: Twitter is a national security threat
- 最近发表
-
- 10 Places to Get to Know Paul Bunyan
- N. Korea's Kim arrives in Russia for rare summit with Putin
- Hillary Clinton is sending her supporters 'Woman Cards'
- 在曲江林场的日与夜:巡山,巡山,巡山
- 古物:回望时间的印记
- 名山区工商局结合工商职能开展“中国梦”学习交流
- The NFL's new streaming partnership with Amazon, explained
- Killings by police ramp up in Rio ahead of Olympics
- 实干担当抓落实 多措并举促发展
- 在曲江林场的日与夜:巡山,巡山,巡山
- 随机阅读
-
- Giant dual
- 下河捕鱼被困河中 警民协作成功营救
- AI researchers want governments to ban killer robots, before it's too late
- 不用密码也能消费 信用卡背后的“后三码”你了解吗?
- 21 Lost and Lonely Cemeteries
- The Internet is gasping for breath after this week's 'Game of Thrones'
- 我市全面实现生育服务网络办理
- 发挥推动引领作用 带动全社会自觉投入创建工作
- Why Kamala Harris triggers Donald Trump so intensely.
- AI researchers want governments to ban killer robots, before it's too late
- Why AI provides a fresh opportunity to neutralize bias
- 名山乡镇老年摩托车骑游大队成立队员八成是农民
- Pressure boost squeezes out more hydrogen from artificial leaves
- N. Korea's Kim invites Putin to visit Pyongyang; Putin accepts: state media
- 省医保局对我市监管人员进行监管业务培训
- Google charted air pollution street by street in parts of California
- 高燃!哨响表停赛不止,2024广东“村BA”开赛在即,一分钟带你重温高光瞬间。
- Liam Gallagher asked someone to peel a potato live at his show
- Chrissy Teigen leaves lucky waitress $1,000 tip at Outback Steakhouse
- 在曲江林场的日与夜:巡山,巡山,巡山
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-