Google recently revealed that next-gen call screening is coming to select Pixel phones. The addition of a new Hello button enhances the already-existing Call Screen feature. When you tap the screen, Google Assistant will start speaking on your behalf.
You will be able to hear the caller’s response in real time when the digital assistant asks them why they are attempting to reach you. You can cut in and start the call if it seems crucial. If not, you are free to ignore them and resume watching TV.
Google Assistant already worked to screen calls in a similar way, but the Hello button gives the user ultimate control as to when to begin the screening process. There’s even an option to tell the caller to wait a little bit, if you can’t get to the phone quite yet. In addition to the real-time element, the tool still captures transcripts of these screenings to peruse at your leisure. The new Call Screen update is only available for the Pixel Fold and Pixel 6 phones and newer.
This is part of a larger March features drop for Pixel phones. Google’s smartphones will now be able to share 10-bit HDR videos directly to Instagram, with no processing required. This is similar to the approach Samsung recently took with its Galaxy S24 native camera update.
The features drop also expands the company’s recently-launched Circle to Search tool to Pixel 7 smartphones. As the name suggests, this lets people search for stuff by simply drawing a circle around the object. The tool was previously only available for Pixel 8 and Galaxy S24 users.
