Technologies

This Free App Pays You to Record Your Calls for AI Training, and It’s a Hit

Neon is one of the top-downloaded free apps on the iOS App Store.

A new app that promises to pay people for their mobile phone call records, which is then used to train AI models, is getting so popular it’s entered Apple’s list of top-ranked free apps.

As of Thursday, Neon was the fourth most popular iOS free app, ahead of Google, Temu and TikTok. It had earlier been as high as the No. 2 spot.

Neon is available on iOS and on Android and the idea is that the company records the outgoing phone calls of users and pays them up to $30 a day for regular calls or 30 cents a minute if the call is to another Neon user. Calls to non-Neon users pay 15 cents a minute. The app also offers $30 for referrals.

«You can cash out as soon as you earn your first ten cents,» a Neon app FAQ says, «Once redeemed, payouts are typically processed within 3 business days, though timing may occasionally be shorter or longer.»

The company promises it only draws from the recording of one side of the phone conversation, the caller’s, which appears to be a way of skirting state laws that prohibit recording phone calls without permission. While many states only require one person on a call to be aware that a call is being recorded, others including California, Florida and Maryland, have laws that require all parties on a phone call to consent to recording. It’s unclear how Neon is able to function with calls to those states. For Neon-to-Neon calls, two-party consent would presumably be implied.

The app does not record regular phone app calls, only those made within the Neon app or received from another person using Neon.

An email to Neon Mobile, the company behind the app, was not immediately returned.

While the iOS version has shot up in popularity, the Android version appears to be having some problems, at least according to some of the most recent reviews on the Google Play store. The Android app only has a 2.4 star rating and some user comments report network errors when people try to cash out on the Neon app.

According to the company’s FAQ, the call data is anonymized and used to train AI voice assistants. «This helps train their systems to understand diverse, real-world speech,» it says.

As pointed out by TechCrunch, one of the first sites to write about the app, sharing voice data can be a security risk, even if a company promises to remove identifying information from the data.

Technologies

The Fourth Episode of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Out

Verum Messenger has released the fourth episode of its AI mini-series SHADOWS, created using Verum AI. The new episode, titled “No Borders,” continues the story of a team trying to stay out of the OMEGA corporation’s sight.

Following the events of the previous episodes, the team moves between cities and countries while OMEGA continues its search. The new episode puts particular emphasis on Verum Messenger’s capabilities that allow users to conceal their location.

“No Borders” is another chapter in a story about privacy, freedom of communication, and technologies that erase borders between people.

The VERUM AI mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 4 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

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Technologies

Verum Messenger Introduces Built-In Verum Chess

Verum Messenger has released a new update for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, adding another feature to its growing ecosystem — Verum Chess. Users can now play chess directly inside the messenger without switching between different applications.

The new feature allows users to start a game in just a few taps while reinforcing Verum’s vision of a unified digital environment where communication and everyday services come together in a single platform.

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional ecosystem that combines secure chats and calls, AI tools, a built-in VPN, anonymous email, eSIM, financial services, cryptocurrency features, and offline communication. With the introduction of Verum Chess, the platform now also offers a new way for users to interact and spend time together without leaving the app.

The update is now available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the App Store.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Watch on Instagram
Watch on YouTube