Truecaller, the popular caller ID app used by millions across Africa, has announced plans to cut around 70 jobs. The layoffs, equal to about 15% of its workforce, come as the Sweden-based company struggles with falling advertising revenue. It reported the decision alongside its first-quarter 2026 results.
Truecaller’s net sales for the first three months of 2026 fell 27% to SEK 361.6 million compared to the same period last year. Advertising revenue, which makes up a big part of its income, dropped sharply by around 34% in constant currencies.
The company pointed to several reasons for the decline, including changes in its biggest ad partner’s system, lower earnings from real-money gaming in India, and uncertainty in the Middle East. Despite this, subscription revenue grew strongly, and the number of users remained steady, especially in key markets like India and parts of Africa.
The job cuts will mostly happen in the second quarter. Truecaller expects to spend about SEK 23 million on restructuring costs, including severance. Leaders say the move will help lower staff costs by at least 20% from the third quarter onwards.
The company is also launching a lighter version of its app called Truecaller Lite to reach more users and exploring new ways to make money, such as building an advertising exchange.
Truecaller is well known in Africa for helping people identify spam calls and block unwanted numbers. Many rely on it daily in countries with high mobile usage. Like other digital companies, it has faced pressure as advertising money becomes harder to get due to changes by big platforms and shifts in user habits.
Truecaller says it remains focused on growing its premium subscriptions and improving the app for its large global user base. The job cuts are expected to be completed soon as the company works to become more efficient.
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