> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.brilo.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get past call screening on mobiles

> Set the message your Brilo agent gives to iPhone and Android call screening, so outbound calls reach the person instead of being filtered out.

Newer iPhones and Android phones answer unknown numbers themselves and ask who is calling before they
ring. If nothing answers that question, the call never reaches the person. **IOS / Android Call Screen
Handling** is the line your agent gives when it is asked, and it lives in the **Call Settings** block of
the **Configure** tab.

<Note>
  This setting is in beta. It matters for outbound calls and campaigns. It has no effect on inbound
  calls, where the caller has already chosen to ring you.
</Note>

## Before you start

* An agent that makes outbound calls. See [What is a campaign](/campaigns/what-is-a-campaign).
* Five minutes, and a mobile with call screening switched on to test against.
* Your business name as customers would recognise it.
* You will be working in the **Call Settings** block of your agent's **Configure** tab.

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Call Settings">
    Open your agent, go to **Configure**, and scroll to **Call Settings**. **IOS / Android Call Screen
    Handling** sits below **Voicemail Behavior**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write the screening message">
    Say who is calling and why, in one short sentence. This is not your greeting. It is what a phone
    reads out or shows on screen to help someone decide whether to pick up.

    For example "Marston Dental calling about your appointment on Thursday."
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and test against a real mobile">
    Save, then place an outbound call to a mobile with call screening turned on and watch what the
    handset does with it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## You will know it worked when

You call a screened mobile, the handset asks who is calling, your message is given, and the phone rings
properly instead of the call being filtered away.

## What to write

* **Name your business first.** A recognised name is the only thing that gets a call answered.
* **Give the reason in three or four words.** "About your appointment" or "About your invoice" is
  enough for someone to decide.
* **Do not sell in it.** A screening message that reads like marketing gets the call declined and
  teaches the handset to filter you next time.
* **Do not put questions in it.** Nobody is there to answer them yet.

Compare "Hi, is that Sam? I am calling from Marston Dental with an exciting offer" with "Marston Dental
calling about your appointment on Thursday." The second one gets answered.

## What else you can do here

* Improve pickup rates in ways that matter more than screening: call at sensible hours, use a local
  number, and keep your list clean. See [Outbound follow up](/recipes/outbound-follow-up).
* Decide what happens when a call reaches voicemail instead of a person. See [Voicemail](/calls/voicemail).
* Use a local number for the area you are calling, which does more for pickup rates than anything else
  here. See [Buy a phone number](/phone-numbers/buy-a-phone-number).
* Set the hours your outbound calls are allowed to run. See
  [Business hours and after hours](/calls/business-hours-and-after-hours).

## If it did not work

**Calls are still not getting through.** Screening is one filter among several. If your number has been
flagged as spam by the carrier, no screening message will save it. Contact
[support@brilo.ai](mailto:support@brilo.ai) to check whether your number is affected.

**You cannot see the setting.** It is in beta and may not be on your account. Email
[support@brilo.ai](mailto:support@brilo.ai).

**It reaches voicemail rather than screening.** Different situation, different setting. See
[Voicemail](/calls/voicemail).

**People pick up confused about who is calling.** Your screening message and your opening line
disagree. Make both start with the same business name. See
[Set your greeting](/agents/set-your-greeting).

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why do my outbound AI calls not reach people with iPhones?">
    Newer iPhones and Android phones screen unknown numbers and ask who is calling before ringing. If
    that question goes unanswered the call is filtered out. Fill in **IOS / Android Call Screen
    Handling** in **Call Settings** so your agent can answer it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What should the call screening message say?">
    Your business name, then the reason in a few words. "Marston Dental calling about your appointment
    on Thursday." Keep it factual, leave out anything that reads as a sales pitch, and ask no questions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does this affect inbound calls?">
    No. Inbound callers rang you on purpose, so there is nothing to screen. This only applies to
    outbound calls and campaigns.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will this stop my calls being marked as spam?">
    No. Spam labelling is done by the carrier and is a separate problem from handset screening. Contact
    [support@brilo.ai](mailto:support@brilo.ai) if you think your number has been flagged.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is the screening message the same as my greeting?">
    No. The screening message is given to the handset before anyone picks up. The greeting is the first
    thing the person hears once they do. Keep the business name consistent across both.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

* [Voicemail](/calls/voicemail) for calls that reach an answering machine instead
* [Buy a phone number](/phone-numbers/buy-a-phone-number) for a local number callers recognise
* [Outbound follow up](/recipes/outbound-follow-up) for a complete outbound calling setup
* [Set your greeting](/agents/set-your-greeting) for the line after they pick up
* [My campaign did not call](/campaigns/my-campaign-didnt-call) if outbound calls are not going out