All posts tagged: Truecaller

Truecaller clashes with India’s telecom regulator over anti-spam rules

Truecaller clashes with India’s telecom regulator over anti-spam rules

Published by skeptic

Truecaller has opened a public fight with India’s telecom regulator over rules governing caller ID apps, saying the country’s anti-spam framework is making it harder to protect consumers from unwanted calls in its biggest market. On Wednesday, CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala (pictured above) took to X to publicly challenge the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), accusing the watchdog of preventing Truecaller from displaying community-reported spam information for calls from the country’s dedicated 1400 and 1600 number series, a restriction he said had enabled abuse of those numbers and eroded trust in legitimate business calls. The dispute stems from a framework introduced in 2024 under which India’s telecom authorities designated the 1400 and 1600 number series for commercial communications, with businesses using the former for telemarketing calls and the latter for service- and transaction-related calls. TRAI later mandated the migration to the dedicated numbering series, saying the move would help consumers identify legitimate business communications and curb spam and scam calls. The framework was rolled out amid growing concerns over spam and scam calls in India, …

Truecaller gets into the eSIM business to diversify its revenue streams

Truecaller gets into the eSIM business to diversify its revenue streams

Published by skeptic

Caller ID company Truecaller launched eSIM services for travelers. The launch comes as the company aims to bolster its balance sheet and diversify business amid dipping ad revenues. The company said its plans will range from 1 GB over 7 days to 20 GB over 30 days. Initially, the launch will make the eSIM product available in 29 countries. The list includes Italy, Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, Finland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria. Notably, the company’s biggest market, India, is missing from the list. This is likely due to the country’s strict telecom regulations. Previously, the country blocked Airalo and Holafly over concerns around fraudulent use. Truecaller said it is working with global cellular connectivity provider Telna and telecom software provider Telness Tech to operate the eSIM platform. Where there are other eSIM providers like Airalo, Holafly, Roamless, and NordVPN’s Saily, Truecaller thinks that its existing user base …

Truecaller slashes 70 jobs amid declining ad sales

Truecaller slashes 70 jobs amid declining ad sales

Published by skeptic

Sweden-based caller ID company Truecaller said it will cut 70 jobs, or roughly 15% of its workforce, in the second quarter, as the company posted its Q1 2026 results with a decline in revenue and profits. Truecaller blamed real-money gaming in India, changes in advertising partner algorithms, and conflict in the Middle East for the slide. As TechCrunch reported last month, the company is already facing challenges from India’s telecom-led solutions, such as Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) identification service, and 5% year-on-year decline in downloads last year. In its Q1 2026 results, Truecaller’s net sales dropped 27% to 362 million SEK ($39.34 million). In its biggest market, India, net sales dipped by 41% year-on-year. In addition, ad revenues declined by 44%. “The year-on-year comparison looks especially weak given that Q1 and Q2 last year included a large contribution coming from the real money gaming sector in India in connection with the IPL season that takes place around this time. The situation in the Middle East also reduced our revenues from that region,” Truecaller CEO Rishit Jhunjhunwala …

Truecaller slashes 70 jobs amid declining ad sales

Truecaller faces mounting pressures as its growth matures

Published by skeptic

Truecaller is one of the world’s most widely used caller identification platforms, with more than 500 million users. Now it’s entering a more challenging phase as growth slows in its largest market and competition intensifies across telecom networks and smartphone platforms. Much of Truecaller’s growth has been driven by India, which accounts for over 350 million users, or about 70% of its global base. The volume of spam and unwanted calls has turned the app from a simple caller ID service into a more embedded layer of everyday communication. That position is now shaping its next phase. The company has introduced features such as AI Assistant and Family Protection to drive monetization, alongside tools like Community Suggestions to stay relevant as competition intensifies. This comes as telecom-led solutions such as Calling Name Presentation (CNAP), dedicated number series for verified business calls, and AI-based spam protection gain traction in India. Meanwhile, smartphone makers including Apple and Google continue to build caller identification and spam-blocking capabilities into their operating systems. As competition increases, Truecaller’s growth is starting …

Truecaller now lets you hang up on scammers — on behalf of your family

Truecaller now lets you hang up on scammers — on behalf of your family

Published by skeptic

Caller identity platform Truecaller recently launched a new feature that lets one person become an admin of a family group, get alerts about fraud calls received by other members, and even end a call on their behalf if they suspect a family member might get scammed. The company, which has over 450 million users, first launched the feature in December in a handful of countries like Sweden, Chile, Malaysia, and Kenya. Truecaller said that after seeing promising results, it decided to roll it out worldwide, including in India, the company’s biggest market. The feature is free, and users can create groups even if they are not on a paid Truecaller plan. Image Credits: Truecaller With this feature, the tech-savvy member of a family or friends group can become the admin of an up to five-member group. Once the other members join the group, the admin can get alerts about potentially fraudulent calls those members receive. If the admin believes that the call could harm the member, they can remotely end the call as well. While …