Android phones are finally getting an iPhone-style dialer upgrade

Google has announced a new Android feature that could make your phone app feel a lot smarter and less fragmented. VoIP apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and other internet calling services will now be able to integrate directly with your phone’s native dialer app, such as Phone by Google.

Essentially, if you have an Android phone running Android 16.1 and above, you’ll soon see calls from third-party apps appear alongside regular cellular calls inside your main call history. You’ll also be able to return those calls directly from the dialer without opening the original app first.

This is something iPhones have supported for some time now through Apple’s CallKit framework, and Android has long felt behind in this area. Right now, if you miss a WhatsApp call, you have to open WhatsApp itself to find it again or call the person back.

The new system will work by letting VoIP apps register their calls with Android’s telecom framework. Once they do, those calls can appear in the device’s main call log just like regular phone calls. If you tap the callback button in the dialer, Android will automatically route you back into the correct app to place the internet call.

Then, in October 2025, Android 16 QPR2 introduced another related capability, allowing VoIP apps to hide specific calls from the system call log. However, no major apps appeared to actually support the feature at that time, likely because the APIs were still under testing. Google’s official announcement now confirms that the broader call log integration system is finally ready for developers.

Third-party apps need to adopt the APIs before users will see any changes actively. That means support may roll out gradually depending on how quickly developers update their apps.