While call masking can be used to keep certain phone numbers hidden, it’s nice to know who’s calling you the rest of the time. One of the lesser-known ways to do this is to have your device announce callers’ names out loud. Not only can this save you time, but it can also help you determine if a call is legitimate or not.
How to enable this feature varies by device types, platforms, and hardware models. However, there are still some basic step-by-step instructions you can follow to announce caller names on all major phones and operating systems—as well as some other platforms.
Just remember that some restrictions may apply depending on your carrier, device model, hardware type, and country. In any case, we’ll point out any caveats as they arise so you can enable this feature seamlessly and never have to wonder who’s calling again when your phone rings.
Announce caller name on Apple devices
Apple offers a few different options for announcing incoming caller names on iPhone and other iOS devices.
Use Siri on your iPhone
The built-in Siri voice assistant can speak caller names for incoming calls on compatible iPhones. The following steps will help you enable it.
- Step 1: open it Settings application and select Siri & Search. Make sure Listen to “Hey Siri” it is activated. This allows Siri to listen to your voice commands while your screen is unlocked.
- Step 2: Depending on your device, change or open it Call announcement set Siri to read the name of the person calling you. You can have Siri announce calls all the time, whenever you’re connected to headphones or a car audio interface, or only when you’re connected to headphones.
You can enable or disable this feature at any time Settingsor saying, “Hey Siri, stop announcing calls.”
Use Siri on your Apple Watch
If you want caller ID announcements from your wrist, these next steps will allow Siri to speak names for incoming calls to your Apple Watch.
- Step 1: From your watch app, go to Settings > Siri > Announcement of Notices and turn it on.
- Step 2: While still inside SettingsI’m going to Phone > Call announcement and enable this feature.
Now your watch will buzz on your wrist and Siri will proudly share “Call from [contact name]” when your phone rings.
Use RTT/TTY on your iPhone
RTT (Real Time Text) is a feature that can read your incoming text messages and caller IDs aloud.
- Step 1: I’m going to you Settings > Accessibility and search RTT/TTY Settings.
- Step 2: Activate Speak incoming RTT. You may need to switch RTT/TTY software the TTY hardware to access additional settings.
- Step 3: When a call comes in, your iPhone will now speak the name of the caller. Customize additional RTT options as desired.
Download a third-party app
You can also consider a dedicated app for more customization options regarding spoken caller ID on an iPhone.
Option 1: Speak caller ID
- Step 1: Download and install the Caller ID Speak app from the App Store.
- Step 2: Open the app and enable spoken announcements by toggling Speak caller ID in the on position.
- Step 3: Further customize accents and audio options to suit your personal preferences.
Option 2: CallsAnnouncer
- Step 1: Download and install CallsAnnouncer and then open the app.
- Step 2: I’m going to you Settings > Notification setting.
- Step 3: Change Announce the caller name and other preferences. Customize additional settings as desired.
Announce caller names on your Android
Android phones also allow you to speak the names of incoming callers out loud, both through built-in app methods and through third-party downloads.
Samsung Phone app
Samsung Galaxy devices include caller ID settings right in the built-in Phone application.
- Step 1: Open yours Phone application and tap More options (or the three vertical dots icon).
- Step 2: Choose Settings > Caller ID and activate Say caller ID out loud to enable notifications.
- Step 3: Choose how you want to customize notifications, either always, never, or per contact.
Phone by Google
of Google Phone The app has accessibility options that speak and names.
- Step 1: In the Phone app, go to Settings > Accessibility. Enable TTY mode and configure the settings as desired.
- Step 2: Installation Caller ID announcement in the Settings > Accessibility menu and choose between always announce caller ID, only when using headset, and never.
Caller name announcer app
For more customization and features, a third-party option is to download Caller Name Announcer.
- Step 1: Install Caller Name Announcer from Play Store. Grant all required permissions.
- Step 2: Open the app Settings and enable Caller name pronunciationplus any other desired preferences.
- Step 3: Allow the app to bypass battery optimization to run smoothly in the background.
CallApp
CallApp further promotes accessibility by announcing names and phone numbers.
- Step 1: Install CallApp from Play Store and grant all requested app permissions.
- Step 2: In CallApp, go to Settings > Text to speech and activate Speak caller ID.
- Step 3: Customize pronunciation, language voices and additional display options as you see fit.
Announce caller name with VoIP
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) applications allow you to make calls over the Internet through a softphone. Many popular options like Google Voice can speak caller ID across all devices, including Apple, Android, and more.
Google Voice
Google Voice works seamlessly on iPhone and Android devices to announce caller names.
- Step 1: Download the Google Voice app and sign in (or create) your Google account.
- Step 2: I’m going to you Settings > Make and receive calls.
- Step 3: Change Announce caller ID to the on position and adjust additional preferences as needed.
Now when you receive Google Voice calls, the names of the callers will be spoken out loud on any phone or tablet through the app itself.
Please note that some restrictions may apply depending on your data connectivity. We recommend sticking to Wi-Fi calling whenever possible for the best voice call quality and reliability.
Announce caller name with phones
Caller ID was a huge deal when it first came to landline phones, and many popular phone service providers have moved on to offer accessibility options for speaking caller IDs out loud.
AT&T Audible
Starting at $7 per month, AT&T landline customers can add Audibly caller name announcement service.
- Step 1: Contact AT&T to add Audibly to your home phone plan. Activation fees may apply.
- Step 2: On your phone, call *77 to enable caller IDs for all future incoming calls. Dial *87 to turn off when you want.
- Step 3: Manage Audibly online through your AT&T phone account to access customization options.
Spectrum voice guidance
Spectrum home phone and Internet customers can add Voice Guidance for $7.50 per month to have caller IDs announced for all incoming calls.
Frontier Talking Caller ID
Frontier offers Talking Caller ID for $5 a month to speak the calling number and name for all land lines that receive Frontier service.
Accessible phones
For those with hearing loss/disabilities, there are also several manufacturers that offer home phones that announce incoming numbers and/or contact names through the handset’s speaker.
Some of the top accessible phone options include:
- ClearSounds Enhanced Phones ($100+): Speaks names and can adjust volume
- Clarity Alto Plus ($200+ on average): Links to smartphone contacts
- Serene Innovations HD-40P ($150+): It provides strong caller ID options at 50dB
If you need more information about these devices, you can turn to several medical supply retailers to compare the phone equipment accessible. Prices typically range from more affordable analog phones to higher-end hearing aid smartphones—and most pair with existing landlines.
Stay connected with Voice Caller ID
Enabling spoken caller name announcements is pretty simple on all your devices—whether it’s a smartphone, smartwatch, computer, landline, or something else.
When it comes to mobile phones, both Apple and Android operating systems provide basic built-in tools to announce caller names whenever calls come in. For even more customization, however, you can download specialized apps with preferences for telling names, numbers, and contacts in different ways.
Finally, be aware that caller ID announcements may not work if the caller is using a masked number. Of course, if this is the case, then the caller ID announcement settings can act as another layer of security to determine if a call is legitimate or not.
