Most people in India start looking for a Truecaller alternative for one of three reasons: they want an Indian app, they want more control over what they share, or they want something that simply works better on their phone and in their language. All three are fair reasons.
A quick disclosure first: we make BharatCaller, so we're not neutral. We'll tell you where BharatCaller fits, but we'll also show you the free options already on your phone and what to check in any caller ID app before you install it.
What changed in 2026
The question "which caller ID app should I use?" looks different this year, because India's telecom rules have moved:
- CNAP (Calling Name Presentation). The Department of Telecommunications told operators to show the caller's registered name on incoming calls on 4G and newer networks from 1 November 2026, switched on by default. Callers who have restricted their caller ID are exempt, and calls from abroad are shown as "International Call".
- 1600 and 140 numbers. Banks and other financial firms now call from 1600 numbers for service calls, and registered telemarketers use 140 numbers for sales calls. (We explain both in our guide to 140 and 1600 numbers.)
- Network spam alerts. Some operators, such as Airtel, flag suspected spam on the network itself.
So before you install anything, it helps to know what your phone and network already do.
Option 1: what's already on your phone (free)
- CNAP shows the name a number was registered with. It's useful for genuine callers, but a registered name doesn't tell you whether the caller is a spammer, and it can't block anything.
- Your phone's dialler. The Google Phone app has a built-in spam filter, and Samsung phones have a "Caller ID and spam protection" setting (it's powered by Hiya). Both can warn about common spam numbers.
- Your network's alerts, where your operator offers them.
For many people this is enough. If you still get loan, credit card or insurance calls every day, or you want rules like "silence every unknown number but let Maa ring", you'll want an app.
What to look for in a caller ID app
- A warning before you answer, not just a label in your call history.
- Blocking you control: by number series, by country, by words in the caller's name, and for private numbers.
- Help with scams, not only spam: the KYC, digital arrest and parcel scams that start with a call or a message.
- Clear data sharing. Most caller ID apps work by pooling names that people have saved. Read what the app shares and check you can turn it off.
- Permissions it doesn't need. A caller ID app shouldn't need to read your SMS.
- Your language, and whether it runs well on your phone.
Option 2: Truecaller and other caller ID apps
Truecaller is the best-known caller ID app in India. It's made by a Swedish company based in Stockholm, is free with ads and offers paid plans. There's also Truecaller Lite, a smaller version for budget phones.
Other apps you'll see in search results include Hiya (from the US, and the engine behind Samsung's built-in caller ID), Whoscall (from Taiwan) and Naam (another Indian-made app). Each works differently; check the Play Store listing and data safety section before you install.
Option 3: BharatCaller, the Indian Truecaller alternative
BharatCaller is made in India by KickHead Softwares, a National Startup Awards 2020 winner, and it's free with ads. Here's what it does:
- Caller ID before you answer: the name behind an unknown number, from names the BharatCaller community has saved.
- Spam warnings before you answer, for numbers known for spam.
- Blocking for any number you never want to hear from again.
- Made for India: Indian numbers, Hindi and other Indian languages.
What it shares: like other caller ID apps, BharatCaller identifies callers using names people have saved in their contacts, and those names may be shown to other users as caller names (never who saved them). Its privacy policy explains what is shared and says personal information isn't transferred outside India. Read it before you install, as you should for any caller ID app.
Get BharatCaller on Google Play. It's Android only for now.
Which should you choose?
- You rarely get spam: CNAP and your phone's built-in spam filter may be all you need.
- You get daily sales and loan calls: turn on DND (call or message 1909), then add an app with blocking rules for the calls DND can't catch.
- You want a caller ID app made in India, in your language: try BharatCaller.
- Whatever you pick: read its data sharing settings on day one.
Quick answers
Is Truecaller an Indian app?
No. Truecaller is made by a Swedish company headquartered in Stockholm, though India is its biggest market.
Which caller ID app is made in India?
BharatCaller is one: it's built by KickHead Softwares in Noida. Naam is another Indian-made caller ID app.
Do I still need a caller ID app after CNAP?
CNAP shows the name a number was registered with. It doesn't warn you about spam, block calls by your rules or check scam messages. If those matter to you, an app still helps.
Is BharatCaller free?
Yes. BharatCaller is free, with ads.
