'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Sick of mistaking legit calls for spam? This new AT&T wireless service might help
Spam calls are a large part of why 73% of wireless customers don't answer calls from unknown callers. And that's why AT&T and TransUnion are introducing a new branded call display feature, which shows the name and brand logo on incoming calls.
Participating businesses will be able to display their information to let customers know who's calling and to prove the call has been verified, so call recipients can be certain the number hasn't been spoofed.
Also: Apple refuses to relax its iron grip on iPhones in Europe
"We're obsessed with giving our customers secure and trusted calls, so we're excited to work with TransUnion for a richer, more helpful visual experience," said Erin Scarborough, AT&T senior vice president of mass markets product management. "And since we use STIR/SHAKEN verification, our customers will be able to connect with greater confidence to the brands they may want or need to connect with."
STIR/SHAKEN combines the Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) protocol and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information using Tokens (SHAKEN) framework. STIR/SHAKEN is a system used to combat caller ID spoofing by ensuring caller ID information is secure and accurate. Caller ID spoofing is often used in robocalls and phone scams.
A recent survey found that 58% of people have missed important calls on their mobile phones that they purposefully didn't answer because they didn't recognize the caller. Similarly, 73% of respondents declined a call because of safety and fraud concerns that they learned afterward was a legitimate call.
Also: Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: A week later, I've forgotten about the Ultra model
Officially called TruContact Branded Call Display (BCD), powered by Neustar, the new technology will be available for all AT&T wireless customers, with no action on their part. Businesses interested in participating can sign up through TransUnion.
"The delivery of Branded Call Display logos represents the culmination of years of collaboration between AT&T and Neustar, now part of TransUnion," said James Garvert, TransUnion senior vice president and general manager at TruContact Communications Solutions. "We have delivered Caller ID for landlines, evolved to the first generation of branded calling, and now we've set the stage for Branded Calls Display logos. This is helping restore trust in the phone to protect enterprises and consumers alike."
Also: How to create a passkey for your Google account (and why you should)
The service is now available on iOS 17, and on the Samsung Galaxy S22 and the Motorola Razr, with more Android devices coming soon, according to AT&T. Android devices will display the branded logo when the phone rings and in the call details when a call is missed. On iOS devices, the branded logo appears if the phone is unlocked or Face ID is engaged.