No More False Emergency Calls, Explore Google Assistant And SOS Feature

Google is adding a new feature to its Assistant on Pixel phones. This feature improves the Call Screen service. Earlier, this service was good at blocking calls from unknown numbers or spammers. 

But when a call came from someone you know, it was not very helpful. Now Google has fixed this. You can this feature on Google Pixel phone.

The new feature is called “Ask if urgent.” This option appears only when you get a call from someone who is in your contact list. 

When you get a call, you can tell Google Assistant to pick up and ask if the call is urgent. This helps you decide whether to take the call right away or call back later.

This feature is rolling out in the US and other countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the UK. However, the feature is automatic only in the US. In other countries, users have to choose to screen the call manually.

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The main reason for this feature is to give you more control. Suppose you’re busy but don’t want to miss an important call. 

In that case, this feature will let you know if you should take the call immediately or if it can wait. It’s like having a secretary who checks if calls are important while you focus on other tasks.

Google’s new feature helps you handle calls from known contacts better. It’s becoming available in several countries and aims to help you manage your time and focus on what’s urgent.

Google has made a change to its Personal Safety app to deal with a problem. Earlier, Android phones were making too many false emergency calls. 

These calls were going to 911 in the US or 100 in India. This happened because some Android phones had the emergency SOS feature turned on by default. Many people didn’t even know about it.

Google updated the app in June 2023 to fix this. Now, if you need to make an emergency call, you have to hold a button on your screen for 3 seconds. This comes after pressing the power button five times.

While this new step may reduce wrong calls, it could also create a new issue. In urgent situations, even a few seconds matter. 

The need to hold the button for 3 seconds could delay getting help. So, this update is like a double-edged sword. It solves one problem but could make another one worse.