Outbound calling with Orum and iOS26 Call Screening

What iOS Call Screening does, what the call data is showing about adoption and results, and what Orum is doing about these changes.

What iOS 26 Call Screening Actually Does

When an unknown number (not in the iPhone Contacts) calls an iPhone with screening enabled, the prospect sees a short prompt and a live transcript of a quick opener from the caller. The recipient can then choose to connect, ignore, or reply with a short text, such as “call you later.”

Watch our webinar on iOS 26 Call Screeners

Adoption So Far and What the Data Says

iOS 26 still requires an active download, so the majority of users won’t be on it immediately. Screening is a setting. It is not on by default. Adoption will depend on discoverability and user intent. Apple is nudging adoption, which likely will accelerate uptake.

Today, 1.5% of calls with transcripts in Orum are being routed to an iOS screener. While that number seems small, it represents pretty good initial traction.

For context, Google has offered screening since 2018. In our dataset, screened calls on Android appear in a tiny fraction of dials and have not materially changed connect or meeting rates. When those calls do connect, meeting conversion improves because the prospect is welcoming the conversation.

The takeaway is simple. Screening creates a new decision point in the call flow. Orum’s Product team is already optimizing for it.

Orum Product Updates connected to iOS 26

Today: Automated Screener Detection Currently, Orum’s platform auto-detects and skips iOS screeners in Parallel Dialing. We will detect iOS screeners and automatically skip them during parallel sessions, so reps can focus on real conversations, rather than manually leaving messages with screeners.

Coming Soon: Automatic Call Screen Message Drop While skipping screeners saves time, reps may miss out on conversations with prospects who would respond favorably to a good screener message. Orum users will be able to automatically drop a message that will play for the screener. This will allow prospects to see a short version of the pitch and choose to accept or decline the call. Mechanically, this will work much like Orum’s automated voicemail drops. You will be able to deliver a crisp opener designed for the screener moment, then connect only if the prospect accepts.

Coming Soon: Call Screener Prediction Orum’s platform will also soon predict which calls are likely to be screened. 20M dials are made each month on the platform, providing us with valuable data to understand which prospects tend to screen calls. 

We will show you in advance which numbers we expect to screen, allowing you to segment and customize your outbound approach for these prospects.

Call Screening: An Opportunity to Evolve Outbound Calling

Screening gives reps a short, guaranteed window to deliver an eight-second opener before the prospect decides. That changes the game in two ways:

First, you can reduce uncertainty immediately and sound like a real person with a real reason to call.

Second, transcripts let us test and optimize those openers at scale.

The same scientific loop marketers use for email subject lines and display ads can now be applied to cold calls. Try a specific, credibility-building opener tied to intent or referral. Try a curiosity-driven line that earns a tap. Measure. Iterate. Roll out what wins.

How To Adjust Your Team’s Approach Right Now

Front-load the reason to call. Lead with one sentence that ties to a signal or relationship. “Calling because your team registered for our AI coaching webinar yesterday” is more effective than small talk.

Establish credibility without oversharing. Give enough context to earn the tap, not a full pitch in the transcript.

Segment screener likely numbers into focused blocks. Use smart lists so reps work in “screener mode” with the right openers and rhythm.

Sync the first step email. If the opener mirrors the subject and first line from a manual email step, recognition goes up and friction goes down.

Test branded caller ID only if you have brand equity. Strong brands may see a lift. Lesser-known brands can see the opposite. Start with a subset and verify the impact.

What’s Coming Next From Orum

Analytics you can act on. We will show which screening openers win by persona and seniority, then fold those learnings into coaching inside the AI Coaching Suite.

Smarter automation. Dynamic opener selection by segment and automatic routing, so a rep only joins when the callee accepts.

Personalized experimentation at scale. AI-assisted generation of multiple opener variants per rep so teams can A, B, C, and D test quickly while staying compliant and human.

What Will Not Change

Cold calling is not dead. It evolves. We adapted to STIR/SHAKEN, Focus modes, and Live Voicemail. We will adapt to screening. The teams that win control what they can control: clean lists, smart workflows, crisp openers, consistent coaching, and fast iteration on what the data says is working.

If you are an Orum customer and need help setting up screener-aware smart lists or building a library of eight-second openers, we will guide you through the process. If you are evaluating Orum, this is exactly the kind of change our platform is built to absorb so your reps can stay locked on conversations that turn into pipeline.