Google announced Thursday that Call for Me, an experimental beta feature, will let its Gemini assistant place phone calls on behalf of users. The feature is exclusive to the Pixel 11 smartphone in the United States and works in English. Pixel 11 owners must have a Gemini subscription and be enrolled in the public beta of the Phone by Google app to try it.
The tool is built for calls to businesses. A user can ask Gemini to contact a local hardware store about whether a specific tool is in stock, or to reach a barber about scheduling a haircut. Gemini may ask follow-up questions to gather context before dialing, then introduces itself and holds a back-and-forth conversation to handle the request. When it encounters an automated phone menu, it can navigate the options and wait on hold.
Users can follow along through a live transcript on the Pixel and take over the call at any point. Google said the feature works best with businesses and will not call establishments such as emergency services, though users can direct Gemini to call specific numbers. A Google spokesperson told WIRED that if a business such as a tattoo artist has little web presence, Gemini will try to search for a phone number, and a user may supply one as well. The assistant uses the same voice heard in Gemini Live interactions during these calls, even if a user's preferred Gemini voice has an accent.
Call for Me joins a set of calling features already available on Pixels and Android. The Phone app can screen incoming calls and block robocalls and telemarketers. Hold for Me listens for the end of hold music and alerts the user when a person answers. Direct My Call shows automated menu choices on screen before they are spoken, and Scam Detection warns users in real time when it believes the other party is running a scam.
Google's earlier effort at AI calling, Duplex, let the now-defunct Google Assistant book restaurant tables roughly a decade ago before it was shut down. Voice assistants handling calls have become more common since then, with call screening tools on Pixel, Samsung and iPhone devices intercepting unknown callers to ask why they are calling.
Google acknowledged the feature can stumble. A spokesperson said the company wants users to test a range of situations, including different accents and noisy environments, so it can keep improving. Google also said Gemini will politely end a call when a business cannot accommodate the request.
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