Apple is working on a way to automatically detect call spoofing

Apple has filed a patent application for a technology that allows an iPhone to automatically detect whether a phone call is authentic or spoofing. In the latter case, Apple can warn the iPhone user or block the call.

The technology enables the iPhone to read out various characteristics when a call comes in and check it in a database of similar calls, for example conversations that the user has previously had, according to the patent application that Apple Insider discovered.

Discovering such calls works with details in the SIP Invite coming in over the network. If it shows that the call will be via VoIP, that could be an indication that it is a spoofed call, as many authentic calls use IMS, Internet Multimedia Subsystem.

The technology would enable iPhones to warn or block the call altogether. It is still unknown how Apple would like to implement this. The patent application comes a few days after Google announced a feature for its Pixel 3 phone that allows users to let the Assistant record phone calls. That works without detection of spoofed phone calls. Apple patents many different techniques, and many of the patents the company never actually uses. It is still unknown whether this technique will become a feature in iOS.