Facebook now has a new dialer for Android, introducing a new "Hello" app that is already available on Google Play.
The new Facebook Hello dialer (not to be confused with the Firefox Hello messaging service) aims to provide users with some context on who's calling, based on their links through Facebook. Users will still be able to see more info regarding who's calling even if they're not linked to Facebook, provided that the caller does have their number linked to their Facebook profile. Moreover, the Hello dialer also links to business, as well as people on Facebook, allowing users to search and connect in a faster and easier manner.
"Billions of calls are made everyday on mobile phones and people often have very little information about who's calling them. Today we are starting to test Hello, a new app built by the Messenger team. Hello connects with Facebook so you can see who's calling, block unwanted calls and search for people and places," Facebook explained in a new press release.
Hello basically aims to connect users to Facebook, which in turn connects them with the information the dialer needs in order to provide more details. If you search for a restaurant in the Hello dialer, for instance, you will not only find their phone number, but also see relevant information from its Facebook page, such as when it opens/closes, or how many likes it has.
At the same time, you will also get contextual info when you receive a phone call from someone you're connected with on Facebook. If someone calls and it's their birthday, for example, the Hello dialer will tell you so that even if you forgot, you can pretend you didn't.
Users will also be able to choose specific numbers to block, or numbers that commonly get blocked. The blocked calls will go to voicemail, but it remains unclear whether blocking a number also means blocking that specific person on Facebook as well.
"With Hello, people will only see info they could otherwise find on Facebook. We've also made it easy to control your experience using your settings on Facebook and in the app."
Facebook has started testing Hello on Android on Wednesday, April 22, and interested customers can download the app from the Play Store. To learn more about Facebook's new dialer, check out the video below. If you already gave it a shot, drop by our comment section below and tell us what you think of it.
