Google’s Expressive Calling: Revolutionizing Phone Etiquette
Imagine being able to know why someone is calling you before you even answer the phone. Google is making this a reality with its new “Expressive Calling” feature, which allows you to tag a reason for your call before the other person picks up. This innovation is set to change the way we interact with our phones and each other.
According to recent discoveries in the latest beta version of the Phone app, Google is testing a system (codenamed “expresso”) that enables users to select a reason for their call, such as “Catch up,” “News to share,” or “Quick question,” before dialing. The app then sends this information to the recipient’s screen, providing context for the call. This feature is expected to be a game-changer, especially with the “Urgent” option, which can bypass “Do Not Disturb” settings if both parties have the feature enabled.
Why This Matters
Let’s face it – nobody likes answering the phone without knowing who’s calling or why. This feature changes the game by providing context, making it feel more like a modern tool than a relic of the past. With Expressive Calling, users can screen calls without guilt, knowing they won’t miss a genuine emergency. It’s a safety upgrade that doesn’t require a third-party app, and it’s a significant improvement to the traditional phone experience.
- We all screen calls because we don’t know if it’s a scam, a pocket dial, or an actual emergency.
- This feature changes the etiquette, borrowing the “context” we love in text messages and applying it to voice calls.
- It makes the phone app feel less like a fossil and more like a modern tool, helping users manage their time better.
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
Why You Should Care
If you’re the type who keeps their phone on silent 24/7, this feature is huge. It means you won’t miss a genuine emergency just because you were napping or in a meeting. On the flip side, when you see “Catch up” on the screen, you know it’s safe to ignore it until you’re free. This feature gives you permission to screen your calls without guilt, helping you manage your time better.
- It means you won’t miss a genuine emergency just because you were napping or in a meeting.
- When you see “Catch up” on the screen, you know it’s safe to ignore it until you’re free.
- It basically gives you permission to screen your calls without the guilt, helping you manage your time better.
What’s Next
Google hasn’t given an official launch date, but since the code is already hiding in the beta app, we’ll probably see it in a Pixel Feature Drop pretty soon. It’ll likely start on Pixels only, but hopefully, it eventually rolls this out to everyone else on Android. As the feature grows, we might even see options to type in our own custom reasons.
- It’ll likely start on Pixels only, but hopefully, it eventually rolls this out to everyone else on Android.
- As the feature grows, we might even see options to type in our own custom reasons.
