Government starts testing Truecaller-like caller ID: Here’s what CNAP is and how it works

CNAP

If your phone has suddenly started showing unfamiliar names when someone calls you, names you never saved, do not worry. It is not a glitch. It is the Indian government’s new CNAP system being tested in some parts of the country.

CNAP stands for Calling Name Presentation and it works like a government-backed and verified version of Truecaller. The idea is to show you the actual Aadhaar-linked name of the person calling you instead of relying on crowdsourced data or user guesses.

Here is what happens when someone calls you. Your phone first displays the Aadhaar name associated with that mobile number. After a moment, it switches to the name you have saved in your contacts. This means the verified government identity appears first and your personal saved label appears second.

Why is this happening now? The government approved the CNAP portal last month and telecom operators have begun enabling it to make caller identification more accurate and trustworthy. The aim is to reduce spam, prevent fraud and give people more confidence when answering calls from numbers they do not recognise.

Earlier, if an unsaved number appeared on your screen, you had no clear way of knowing who it was unless you used an app like Truecaller. Even then, the information often depended on other users and was not always reliable. CNAP changes this by pulling the caller’s name directly from official records linked to their SIM registration.

The system also works for contacts stored on your phone. Even if you saved someone with a nickname like Mom or Office or Plumber, CNAP will show their Aadhaar-linked name before switching to your own saved label. It is a noticeable shift in how caller ID now functions in India.

The rollout does raise early questions about privacy, accuracy and whether people will be able to update or change their displayed name. These issues will likely be discussed more as the service expands.

For now, CNAP is meant to give users more clarity and trust when picking up calls, especially from unfamiliar numbers. As telecom operators continue to activate the system across the country, you can expect to see more verified names appearing on your screen before your personal contact names show up.

The test phase has already begun and it is reshaping caller identification in India in a very visible way.