A big change is going to happen across the country from tomorrow, November 1, 2026. Now, on calls coming from unknown numbers, not only the number but also the name of the caller will be visible. The government has instructed telecom companies to start Calling Name Presentation i.e. CNAP service. This will make it easier to identify incoming calls on the phone and will help in preventing spam or fraud calls.
This service will be operational by default on 4G and 5G networks. That means you will not need to do anything separately. This facility will not be available on old 2G and 3G networks as of now, a decision regarding that will be taken later. This system will become an alternative to third-party apps like Truecaller, which will work inside the phone itself.
How will CNAP work?
When you receive a call, two things will appear on the screen. On one side the caller’s number and on the other side his name. If the number is saved in your contact list, the same name will appear.
If it is not saved then the registered name of the caller will be extracted from the database of the telecom company and shown. ‘International Call’ will be visible on calls coming from abroad.
Every telecom company will have to create a secure database of names and numbers of its customers. When a call comes, the company receiving the call will take the name from that database and send it to your phone. Special care has been taken of privacy. After the call ends, the name information will not be stored anywhere. Those who want to hide their identity and keep the CLIR feature on, their names will not be visible.
Users with business and bulk connections can also show their preferred name. But for that it is necessary to have a trademark or a registered name on the GST portal. The company will give permission only after checking the documents.
This decision has been taken after the recommendations of TRAI and the trials conducted in the last few months. Earlier TRAI had said that the users should start the service themselves, but later it was said to keep it as default. Now this rule is coming into effect from tomorrow.
What will be the benefit?
This will greatly benefit the common people. There will be less hesitation in disconnecting or picking up a call after seeing an unknown number. The possibility of fraud calls will also reduce because the name will be revealed. Although there may be some glitches in the beginning, the system will improve with time.
