Facebook is reportedly testing a Truecaller like app called 'Phone', which shows information about who is calling, and automatically blocks blacklisted numbers, according to a report.
Android Police says that several Android users have spotted the feature inside the Facebook Android app. Facebook describes the app as, “Phone is a new app that shows you info about who’s calling and automatically blocks calls from commonly blocked numbers.”
The update is titled “Try Phone [FB-ONLY],” hinting that the feature was meant to be tested internally by Facebook’s employees only, but has been accidently unveiled to a handful of Facebook Android users.
The app is very similar to called ID app 'Truecaller' which also identifies callers identity, has a reverse-lookup feature and also has a phone dialer app. Facebook already has a large database of its users' phone numbers, so it will be easy for the social networking site to collate the information.
The report states, “Phone will block calls from commonly blocked numbers and show you detailed information about incoming calls, a lot like the Whitepages Caller ID app. Presumably, Facebook will also be anonymising your incoming call data for marketing and research purposes, because why else would they want to release an app like this?”
Facebook Messenger already has calling capabilities and Facebook has also launched the feature on WhatsApp. The dedicated 'Phone' app will help keep the functionality inside the main app, a strategy Facebook has been increasingly pursuing.
Recently Facebook introduced the ability to send and receive money through its messengers app. To use the new feature users have to link their Visa or MasterCard debit card to their messenger app and simply click on the dollar icon. Facebook has stated that it is not planning to monetise the feature as of now.
Source: Android Police