C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR Google is developing a new calling feature that would allow you to mark your calls as Urgent using the Phone app.
Callers might be able to add a short message along with an emoji to make their call appear important.
The feature would also override the recipient’s DND settings, reducing the likelihood of the call being missed.
Google’s Phone app offers a host of nifty features, including Spam Rejection and Call Screen, that let you fend off spammers and keep unwanted calls at bay. However, it may be now be working on a feature that could allow urgent calls to reach you, even when you might not be in the mood for talking.
Just like important emails, Google may soon let you mark your calls as important, prompting the other person to pick up urgently. With the recent public beta (version 201.0.833052069) of the Phone app, Google appears to be working on a new feature called “Expressive Calling.” With this option, callers will be able to add text messages to their calls to justify the urgency.
To users, however, the option might appear as “Call Reason” based on what we’re able to see from the bits of code we have discovered. The following strings show up in the Phone app’s code, also suggesting the feature’s potential description:
Code Copy Text
While dialling, users should be able to choose the option and add a reason. At the moment, we see the following four options, accompanied by relevant emoji, that callers will be able to choose among: 🚨 It’s urgent!
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