Here Is Why Unknown Calls Now Show Names On Your Phone And What CNAP Does

If you’ve recently noticed a name popping up on your phone screen when an unfamiliar number calls, you’re not imagining things. This quiet change has been rolling out across India over the past few weeks and many users are spotting it for the first time. Even when the number isn’t saved in contacts, a caller name now appears. This shift is tied to the gradual rollout of Calling Name Presentation, or CNAP, a new telecom feature being introduced following directions from the Department of Telecommunications and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.What Is CNAP And How It WorksCNAP is not an app and it doesn’t rely on the internet. Instead, it works directly at the telecom network level. The concept is defined by the European Telecommunications Standards

Institute, which describes CNAP as a service that displays the registered name of the calling party on the receiver’s phone.In plain terms, when someone calls you, your telecom operator pulls the name that was submitted during SIM registration using official KYC documents. That name is then shown on your screen. If the caller has chosen to hide their identity, or if the name isn’t available, the system simply reflects that instead. CNAP applies to voice calls only and does not extend to SMS or messaging services.Why CNAP Is Being Rolled Out NowUntil now, Indian telecom networks have relied on Calling Line Identification Presentation, which only shows the caller’s number. According to TRAI, that system no longer meets user expectations. With spam calls, robocalls and fraud attempts on the rise, many people ignore unknown numbers entirely. That often means genuine calls go unanswered, too.Is Gmail Spying On You? Turn Off These Two Features Now Or Say Goodbye To Your PrivacyHow CNAP Is Different From TruecallerCNAP may feel similar to apps like Truecaller, but the difference lies in how the information is sourced. CNAP uses verified telecom records collected during SIM issuance. There’s no crowdsourcing, no contact scraping, and no app installation.Truecaller, on the other hand, depends largely on user-submitted data and online access. While it offers spam tagging and community reports, the names it shows aren’t always accurate or officially verified.In short, CNAP is a built-in, network-level identity system, while Truecaller remains an app-based solution with added spam-filtering features.