Google Phone's upcoming feature lets urgent calls bypass DND mode
What's the story
Google is developing a new feature for its Phone app called "Expressive Calling." The update will allow callers to indicate the purpose of their call, such as whether it's urgent or casual, prioritizing their responses on the receiver's end. The feature is still under development and was recently spotted in the app's latest beta by 9to5Google.
Advanced functionality
Urgent calls can interrupt DND mode
The "Expressive Calling" feature includes an option for callers to mark their call as urgent. If this has been enabled, an urgent call could bypass the Do Not Disturb mode on the receiver's end and even make a sound. The notifications would also show when an "Urgent Call" was missed along with other reasons provided by the caller.
Feature details
Expressive Calling to enhance communication experience
The "Expressive Calling" feature, codenamed "expresso," will also enhance the calling experience with visual and haptic feedback. Callers will be able to specify a "Call Reason" from options like "Catch up," "News to share," or "Quick question." This information would then be sent as a message to the recipient of the call, likely appearing on their incoming call screen and notification.
Information
SMS permission required for Expressive Calling
To use the "Expressive Calling" feature, users will have to grant SMS permission to the Phone app. The feature is currently being tested in beta version 201 of the app and is expected to be exclusive to Pixel phones when it launches.