The Pixel Phone app might soon let you respond to calls with AI messages

Call Screen with added Gemini?

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If you’ve got one of thebest Pixel phonesin your pocket, then you can use theCall Screenfeature to have aGooglebot answer incoming calls and ask what the call is about – and it looks like more AI trickery is about to be added too.

The team at9to5Googledid some digging into the Phone app for Pixels, and found code hinting that advanced AI replies would be available in the future. These would most likely be powered by Google’sGemini AIchatbot.

You already get a comprehensive experience from Call Screen as it works today: the caller hears a spoken message asking them to state their business, and you get a text transcript of what they’ve said. You can then join the call, or send some basic responses – like “call me back” or “thank you” – if you’re not available to talk.

This new upgrade would make those responses more varied and complex, powered by a large language model. It seems that you would still get the option to choose from a selection of responses on the screen, rather than starting from scratch.

Updates ahoy

Call Screen was only just updatedlast month, with more context-aware quick replies – ones that aren’t just generic responses (so if the call is about an appointment, you might see “confirm” or “cancel” options, for example).

It’s not clear exactly how the more detailed responses might work, as the 9to5Google team wasn’t able to dig out any screenshots or get the feature turned on, but the new answers will most probably be along similar lines to a typical Gemini AI chatbot response.

Another bunch of Pixel updates – which Google calls Pixel Drops – should beannounced very soon, though this particular new feature might not be included. Google may need more time to refine the way it works, and it’s worth noting that the hidden code already includes the standard disclaimer about the unreliability of AI responses.

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If the feature does need on-board AI processing from the Gemini Nano model, this will only work on thePixel 8 Proand thePixel 9phones (Gemini Nano is also on thePixel 8andPixel 8a, though it’s not currently enabled).

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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