NordVPN adds call protection on Android to identify suspicious numbers

NordVPN has just introduced a call protection feature in its Android app that can identify a suspicious number. In France, where 65% of users no longer answer unknown calls, the option is bound to prove useful.

According to our colleagues at 01net, one third of French people no longer answer their phone when they do not recognise the number. The latest annual Arcep customer satisfaction observatory shows that almost as many answer “rarely”. In 2023, 65% of respondents said they never or rarely picked up calls from unknown numbers, up 6 points on 2022. The figure reflects the frustration of a public overwhelmed by unwanted calls. Bloctel, time restrictions imposed on cold callers, and consumer-group initiatives such as UFC-Que Choisir’s campaign have all failed to curb the problem.

NordVPN call protection for Android

Against this backdrop of widespread irritation, NordVPN has announced the addition of call protection to its Android application. The feature assesses the reputation of an incoming number in real time and displays an on-screen warning before the user answers. Whether the VPN is switched on or off, it runs in the background and requires no additional installation for premium subscribers.

NordVPN broadens its cybersecurity platform

This new feature is significant coming from NordVPN. The Lithuanian company has long offered more than internet connection encryption through its VPN. Its services already include NordPass for password management, NordLocker for encrypted cloud storage, and, more recently, NordProtect for cyber-risk cover.

More importantly, NordVPN includes its Threat Protection Pro feature in its VPN app, blocking malicious advertising, trackers and infected files in a similar way to an antivirus program. Telephone call protection follows the same expansion strategy: NordVPN is no longer selling only a VPN; it is selling a complete consumer cybersecurity platform.

Established alternatives for people without NordVPN

This new feature enters a market that has not stood still. Truecaller, an app with 400 million users worldwide, relies on a vast collaborative database and has a recognised level of effectiveness. In France, Saracroche takes a more transparent approach, with an active community that reports and blocks problematic numbers in real time. Android users who do not want any third-party app can use the built-in option in Google’s Phone app to filter unwanted calls.

These services have a head start: they are free, well tested, and their databases are strengthened by millions of collective reports. NordVPN’s call protection is an added benefit for people already subscribed to the Nord Security ecosystem, but for everyone else, it would be difficult to justify a premium subscription solely for this feature.