Google's Phone app gets new call history filters, search bar
What's the story
Google's Phone app is getting a set of new features to improve the overall experience. The update brings filters for the "Recents" tab, enabling users to manage their call history in an efficient manner. It is now rolling out to a wider set of users on the beta channel (version 162). And, interestingly, it is not limited to Pixel phones, but available on all Android devices.
Design update
Google Phone app's search bar gets a makeover
The latest update also brings a design overhaul for the top search bar, which now spans all four tabs. The new look is taller and matches Google's Material 3 design language, which is already seen in other first-party apps like Gmail. This change is likely to offer a consistent user interface experience across different Google applications.
Filter features
New filters introduced for call history management
The revamped Phone app now features a carousel of filters beneath the search bar. These are: All, Missed, Contacts, Non-Spam, and Spam. The "Contacts" filter comes in handy for those who often call their contacts. And, even though it has a bit of an awkward name, the "Non-Spam" filter does a good job of telling users what it is all about.
User convenience
User experience enhanced with filter memory feature
The Phone app by Google has been designed to remember the last filter used when the app is left open in Recents/multitasking. However, if not in use, it will default back to the "All" view. Either way, the feature would enhance user convenience by reducing the need for repetitive manual selection of frequently used filters.