You're reading Help for the Yandex Start on Android.
Help for Yandex app on Android →
Help for Yandex app on iOS →

Caller ID

Caller ID can tell you who's calling if the number isn't on your contact list. It can identify both phone calls and calls in messaging apps (WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and Viber).

Caller ID is free.

It can't access the content of your calls and messages.

How it works

Unknown numbers are run through a database that's regularly updated with user reviews, among other data. The app downloads the database when you enable Caller ID for the first time. It takes up to 80 MB, depending on your region.

To save your mobile data, the database downloads over Wi-Fi by default. For better accuracy, you can enable database updates over mobile data.

How to enable database updates over mobile data
  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. Enable Caller ID.
  4. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  5. Under Offline search, disable Download over Wi-Fi only.

Caller ID also checks numbers against the Yandex Business database. If you get a call from a company found in the Yandex Business database, you can see the company name and category. If Yandex can't recognize a company, it suggests a category the call may belong to. For example, "Telemarketing".

Required permissions

Permissions are automatically requested when you enable the Caller ID. You can also grant permissions later in your device settings.

General permissions

Phone access

Required to determine the moment of an incoming call.

Access to contacts

Required to detect calls from numbers that are not in the user's phone book.

This permission is also needed to display contacts from your phone book in your call history.

Access to notifications

Required to identify audio and video calls in messaging apps.

Pop-ups

Display information about an incoming call on the device screen during a call.

Internet access

Required to request information about the number in the database.

Additional permissions

Some smartphone models require additional permissions.

Autorun

This feature automatically launches the app when you receive a call.

To grant permission:

  1. Go to Settings → Permissions.
  2. Tap Autorun.
  3. Enable Yandex Start.
Battery usage

Required for the app to continue running when the battery is low.

To grant permission:

  1. Go to Settings → Battery & Performance.
  2. Tap Activity monitoring.
  3. Select Yandex Start from the list of apps.
  4. Turn on No restrictions mode.
Notifications

Required to display information about an incoming call on the device screen during the call.

To grant permission:

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications → App notifications.
  2. Select Yandex Start from the list of apps.
  3. Choose a theme name for notifications and enable the Show notifications, Pop-up notifications, and Lock screen options.

If the Caller ID isn't displayed on the lock screen during an incoming call:

  1. Go to Settings → Permissions → Other permissions.
  2. Select Yandex Start from the list of apps.
  3. Enable Lock screen.
Battery usage

Required for the app to continue running when the battery is low.

To grant permission:

  1. Go to Settings → Battery → App launch.
  2. Disable automatic management for Yandex Start.
  3. In the Manage manually menu that opens, enable all options.
  4. Tap OK.

For some devices, you also need to do the following:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps.
  2. Choose Apps from the list.
  3. At the top of the screen, tap .
  4. Tap Special access → Battery optimization.
  5. Tap Not optimized and choose All apps.
  6. Select Yandex Start from the list of apps.
  7. Choose Don't allow.
  8. Tap OK.
Caller ID

Identifies phone numbers during incoming calls.

  1. Go to Settings → App management → Default apps.
    • Tap Caller ID & spam app and select Yandex Start.
    • Tap Digital assistant app → Default digital assistant app and select Yandex Start.
  2. Go to Settings → App management → App list → Yandex Start.
    • Tap Permissions and allow access to your contacts and phone if it's restricted:
      • Select Phone, tap Allow, then tap to go back to Permissions.
      • Select Contacts, tap Allow, then tap to go back to Permissions.
    • Tap Display over other apps and enable Allow display over other apps.
    • Tap Modify system settings and enable Allow modify system settings.
    • Tap Picture-in-picture and enable Allow picture-in-picture.
Battery usage

Required for the app to continue running when the battery is low.

  1. Go to Settings → App management → App list → Yandex Start.
  2. Tap Battery → Battery optimization.
  3. Tap Not optimized and select All apps.
  4. In the list of apps, tap Yandex Start.
  5. Select Not optimized and tap Done.
Caller ID

Identifies phone numbers during incoming calls.

  1. Go to Settings → App management → Default apps.
    • Tap Caller ID & spam app and select Yandex Start.
    • Tap Digital assistant app → Default digital assistant app and select Yandex Start.
  2. Go to Settings → App management → App list → Yandex Start.
    • Tap Display over other apps and enable Allow display over other apps.
    • Tap Modify system settings and enable Allow modify system settings.
    • Tap Picture-in-picture and enable Allow picture-in-picture.
Battery usage

Required for the app to continue running when the battery is low.

  1. Go to Settings → App management → App list → Yandex Start.
  2. Tap Battery → Battery optimization.
  3. Tap Not optimized and select All apps.
  4. In the list of apps, tap Yandex Start.
  5. Select Not optimized and tap Done.

Enabling and disabling

Phone calls
  1. Tap .
  2. Choose Caller ID.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Enable or disable the Identify callers option.
Messengers

Note

Caller ID for messaging apps only works for WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, and Viber audio or video calls.

  1. Enable Caller ID.
  2. Tap .
  3. Select Caller ID from the list.
  4. Under Messengers, enable Identify callers in messengers.
  5. Allow access to notifications so that Caller ID can send you notifications about incoming calls.

To stop identifying unknown messenger calls, disable Identify callers in messengers.

View call history

To view information about incoming calls:

  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.

If you don't want calls from your contacts to be saved in history:

  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Enable Hide calls from address book contacts.

Leave feedback about a number

If you want to report a number, or the app incorrectly identified the call category, leave your feedback. You can do this at any time.

Note

You can leave feedback only about a number that isn't on your contact list.

  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. Tap the line with the number.
  4. To leave your feedback, answer the questions.

When your conversation ends, we may ask you a few questions. This happens when we think a phone number belongs to a certain category, but haven't collected enough data on it yet.

Block calls

You can:

Block a category of numbers

Note

This feature is available on devices running Android 10.0 and later.

  1. Tap .

  2. Select Caller ID from the list.

  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .

  4. Under Block calls, tap Allow blocking.

  5. In Calls to block, select the category:

    • Unwanted: Scammers, collectors, silent calls, and so on.
    • Advertisement for financial services: Ad calls from banks, microfinance organizations, and so on.
    • Other ads: Other ad calls.
    • All numbers except contacts: Calls from all numbers not in your contact list. This option is unavailable if you haven't granted Caller ID access to your contacts.
    • All numbers except trusted contacts: Calls from all numbers not in your list of allowed contacts in Caller ID.

  6. In How to block calls, select one of the following:

    • Decline immediately: Calls that meet the blocking conditions are automatically blocked. For you, it looks as if this call never existed.
    • Silence: Calls are silent. You can decide whether to decline or answer the call.

Blocked calls are displayed in the call list in the Caller ID.

Not all calls appear in the list. It depends on your device and its operating system.

Block a specific number

Note

Method of blocking numbers may vary and depend on your device's operating system and manufacturer.

If you receive a call

You can block a number:

  1. Tap .

  2. Select Caller ID from the list.

  3. Tap the number in the call list.

  4. Tap .

    Note

    The number will be added to Caller ID's blocklist, not to your phone's blocklist.

  1. Tap .

  2. Select Caller ID from the list.

  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .

  4. Under Caller ID, tap Blocked contacts.

  5. In the upper-right corner, tap .

  6. Enter the phone number in the international format, starting with +. You can also specify the contact name.

  7. Tap Add to block list.

    Note

    The number will be added to Caller ID's blocklist, not to your phone's blocklist.

  1. Open the Phone app.

  2. Go to Recents.

  3. To the right of the call, tap .

  4. Block the number in one of the following ways:

    • Tap Add to blocklist (for devices running Android 10.0 or higher).
    • Tap → Block this caller.

    Note

    Depending on the device model, the path may vary.

If you receive an SMS
  1. Open the message.
  2. To the right of the sender's name or number, tap → Details.
  3. Choose Block and report spam.

To view the list of blocked numbers, in the Phone app, go to Recent and tap → Settings → Blocked numbers.

Unblocking calls

Note

Depending on the device, the path may differ.

Unblock a specific number

You can unblock a number:

  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. Tap the number in the call list.
  4. Tap .
  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Under Caller ID, tap Blocked contacts.
  5. Find the desired phone number.
  6. Tap next to the number and confirm its deletion.
  1. Open your phone settings.
  2. Open the Phone app, go to Recents, and tap → Settings → Blocked numbers.
  3. Tap the minus sign to the right of the number.

Note

This method is available on devices running Android 8.0 or later.

  1. Open the Phone app.
  2. Go to Recents.
  3. To the right of the call, tap .
  4. Tap Unblock phone number.
Unblock a category of numbers
  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Go to Block calls → Calls to block and turn off the number category you want to unblock.
Unblock all numbers

Note

This method is available on devices running Android 10.0 and later if you've blocked numbers through the Yandex Caller ID.

  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Under Caller ID, tap Blocked contacts.
  5. Tap Clear list and confirm.

List of allowed contacts

Note

  • You can manage the List of allowed contacts only if you're blocking all calls not from the list of trusted contacts.
  • If this setting is enabled but your List of allowed contacts is empty, all incoming calls are blocked.
Add phone number to allowed contacts
  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Under Caller ID, tap List of allowed contacts.
  5. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  6. Enter the phone number in the international format, starting with +. You can also specify the contact name.
  7. Tap Add to allowed contacts.
Delete phone number from allowed contacts
  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Under Caller ID, tap List of allowed contacts.
  5. Find the desired phone number.
  6. Tap next to the number and confirm its deletion.
Edit phone number in allowed contacts
  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Under Caller ID, tap List of allowed contacts.
  5. Find the desired phone number.
  6. Tap next to the number.
  7. Edit the number.
  8. Tap Save.
Clear allowed contacts
  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Under Caller ID, tap List of allowed contacts.
  5. Tap Clear list and confirm.

Change the phone number category

If the phone number category is identified incorrectly, leave feedback. The category will change as soon as we collect enough feedback.

If the phone number belongs to your organization, add it to Yandex Business.

To delete the phone number from our database, contact support.

Outgoing call alert

If you're calling a number that isn't in your contact list, Caller ID will display information about the number to help you decide whether you should proceed with the call.

This feature is enabled by default. To disable it:

  1. Tap .
  2. Choose Caller ID.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Under General, disable Outgoing call alert.

If you want to report a number, or the app incorrectly identified the category of an outgoing call, leave your feedback.

Statistics

Caller ID analyzes incoming calls from unknown numbers to generate statistics for the last 30 days. Data is updated daily. Calls are automatically sorted into categories, such as important calls, telemarketing, spam, and delivery services.

To view statistics:

  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap . This opens the page with your statistics.

Shortcut on the home screen

To add a shortcut to the home screen:

  1. Tap .
  2. Select Caller ID from the list.
  3. In the upper-right corner, tap .
  4. Under General, tap Add caller ID to home screen.
  5. Tap Add. Allow adding a shortcut if requested.

Problems with Caller ID

I can't download the database of numbers

To download the offline database, you need:

  • Battery charge of 21% or higher.
  • Active Wi-Fi connection.
  • Free memory up to 50 MB.
I can't turn on Caller ID

Check if Caller ID is enabled in the settings.

Caller ID doesn't work

Make sure you've granted the Caller ID all required permissions and allowed the app to run in the background in the battery settings. If the problem persists, contact support.

Caller ID doesn't identify numbers

The Caller ID can't identify hidden numbers. Only your mobile carrier can do that.

Caller ID doesn't block numbers

Caller ID doesn't block numbers automatically. You can block numbers only manually.

Calls keep getting declined

The Caller ID doesn't block calls. They are blocked in your device settings or by the mobile carrier.

The Caller ID pop-up covers important information

The Caller ID pop-up may cover the information on the Phone app's screen. Tap the Caller ID window and drag it to a convenient location. The new position will be pinned for future calls.

Why isn't call blocking enabled by default?

We give our users an opportunity to choose whether to trust the Caller ID and enable automatic blocking of calls from specific categories, or to manually decline or take calls from identified numbers.

I have enabled call blocking but still get courtesy calls. Why?

Some categories of organizations (such as banks) often use the same numbers for both courtesy calls and important calls to their customers. If that's the case, we inform you that the call may be advertising but we don't block it in case you're a customer expecting a call from that organization.

I can't add a Caller ID shortcut to my home screen

Some Android launchers don't allow to create home screen shortcuts. To add a home screen shortcut, download another launcher and try again.

Go to the table of contents
Contact support
Previous
Autofill
Next
Personal data management