Google’s Phone app rolling out emergency sharing feature (v193)

AI 要約

Key Points of This Article

• It appears that the default phone app for Google Pixel devices, the “Google Phone app,” is rolling out an interesting new feature.
• Our independent investigation discovered that within the app code of “Google Phone app” version v193.0.809761572-publicbeta-pixel2025, distributed around Wednesday, September 24, 2025, descriptions related to an “Urgent” feature have been added, allowing the caller to convey the urgency of their call.
• This feature seems to utilize “Call Screening.”

It appears that the default phone app for Google Pixel devices, the “Google Phone app,” is rolling out an interesting new feature.

Our independent investigation discovered that within the app code of “Google Phone app” version v193.0.809761572-publicbeta-pixel2025, distributed around Wednesday, September 24, 2025, descriptions related to an “Urgent” feature have been added, allowing the caller to convey the urgency of their call. By enabling the caller to communicate urgency beforehand, the likelihood of the call being ignored may be reduced.

<string name="ask_call_priority">Do you need to get a hold of them urgently?</string>
<string name="ask_if_urgent_from_contact_label">Urgent?</string>

<string name="ask_call_priority_ja">お急ぎのご用件ですか？</string>
<string name="ask_if_urgent_from_contact_label_japan_only">AIで応答</string>

<string name="urgent_call_tag">Urgent</string>

<string name="ask_if_urgent_from_contact_label">緊急の場合</string>

However, naturally, the caller can only convey their phone number. Even with the “Urgent” feature implemented, it’s not inherently possible to convey urgency before the recipient answers the call.

Therefore, the “Urgent” feature being rolled out to the “Google Phone app” appears to utilize “Call Screening,” a feature for Google Pixel devices where an AI assistant answers on behalf of the user. When a caller selects the “Urgent?” label and makes a call, “Call Screening” is activated on the receiving end. The AI assistant then asks the caller, “Do you need to get a hold of them urgently?” and conveys their response to the recipient.

This would allow the caller to communicate urgency before the recipient actually answers the call. However, it may involve several exchanges, which could be cumbersome, and since it uses “Call Screening,” it is, of course, only available on Google Pixel devices.

Is there demand for this, or perhaps applications for it? It’s not impossible to imagine it being misused.

Google Phone App Link