your Pixel could potentially make a customer support call for you, navigate the automated menus, and handle some of the process on its own.
Let Your Pixel Phone Wait on Hold So You Don’t Have To
Google Pixel phones already have some of the most useful features for making phone calls less of a hassle. Tools like Hold for Me and Direct My Call can handle much of the tedious work, whether you’re waiting on hold or trying to figure out which option to press.
Now, Google appears to be working on another Gemini-powered feature called “Call for me.” The idea is pretty straightforward: your Pixel could potentially make a customer support call for you, navigate the automated menus, and handle some of the process on its own. If it works as expected, it could make future Pixel phones, including the Pixel 11 series, even more useful when it comes to everyday calls.
In the beta version of the Phone by Google app (v239.0.980790129), we found several strings pointing to a new feature currently being developed under the codename “Hedwig.” The name is a fitting nod to Harry Potter’s snowy owl, which was known for reliably delivering messages.
The feature appears to be designed to put Gemini to work on one of the most annoying parts of dealing with customer support: making the call. It could potentially dial customer service for you, work its way through automated phone menus, and wait on hold until you actually need to step in. Essentially, Gemini could take care of the tedious parts of the call while you get on with your day.
<code><string name=”a11y_feature_hedwig”>call for me</string>
<string name=”hedwig_dropdown_header”>Call for me</string>
<string name=”call_options_customer_support”>Customer support</string></code>
These strings will appear when initiating the call or showing your number:
<code><string name=”hedwig_contact_grid_back_button_description”>Back to Gemini app</string>
<string name=”hedwig_contact_grid_calling”>Calling</string>
<string name=”hedwig_info_card_number_header”>Your number</string></code>
<string name=”hedwig_contact_grid_calling”>Calling</string>
<string name=”hedwig_info_card_number_header”>Your number</string></code>
The “Back to Gemini app” makes it clear that Hedwig/Call for me will need Gemini to function.
<code><string name=”hedwig_automating_call”>Automating the call</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_take_over”>Take over</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_end_call_cancel”>Cancel</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_end_call_description”>Hang up</string></code>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_take_over”>Take over</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_end_call_cancel”>Cancel</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_end_call_description”>Hang up</string></code>
<code><string name=”hedwig_automating_call”>Automating the call</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_take_over”>Take over</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_end_call_cancel”>Cancel</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_end_call_description”>Hang up</string></code>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_take_over”>Take over</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_end_call_cancel”>Cancel</string>
<string name=”hedwig_bottom_button_end_call_description”>Hang up</string></code>
When Gemini is on the call, users can take over or hang up as needed. If you receive another call while Gemini is handling your call, you will get a warning that answering the new call will end Gemini’s current call.
<code><string name=”hedwig_status_bar_notification_content”>Gemini is making a call for you</string>
<string name=”hedwig_status_bar_notification_action_follow_along”>Follow along</string>
<string name=”hedwig_notification_accepting_incoming_call_will_end_hedwig_call”>Answering this call will end current call</string></code>
<string name=”hedwig_status_bar_notification_action_follow_along”>Follow along</string>
<string name=”hedwig_notification_accepting_incoming_call_will_end_hedwig_call”>Answering this call will end current call</string></code>
We also found strings suggesting that users will have control over how they listen to the call. You’ll reportedly be able to use the phone’s speaker, a wired headset, or mute the audio completely with a “No audio” option. And if you’d rather read than listen, Gemini may also generate a transcript of the conversation that you can copy or share.
Once the call is over, Gemini could also explain what happened. It may tell you whether it ended the call, the person on the other end hung up, or the call was disconnected because of a poor network connection.
Google also includes the following strings in its consent and telemetry notice:
<code><string name= “hedwig_help_us_improve_message”> “This will send info about the call to Google, including system logs and the full transcript. Your phone number and device ID are not sent to Google, and all other information is anonymized. Your submission may be reviewed by human reviewers and may be used to train AI models. Data will be deleted from Google servers after 2 years” “</string></code>
Google hasn’t officially announced the “Call for me” feature yet. It also appears to still be in the early stages of development, which is why we haven’t been able to get it working ourselves.
The code doesn’t specifically identify the feature as a Pixel exclusive either. However, Google has previously limited some of its more advanced call features to Pixel phones, so it wouldn’t be surprising if “Call for me” eventually follows the same path. For now, there’s still plenty we don’t know, and we’ll share more details as they emerge.
