Hate Voicemail? Pixel's New Feature Replaces It With Something Way Better

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Google's Take a Message is disposable for nan Pixel 4 and newer.
• The characteristic fundamentally replaces voicemail.
• You tin spot why personification is calling and reply a telephone you declined.

Google has softly dropped a beautiful cool telephone screening feature, and most Pixel phones from nan past six years are getting it.

When nan Pixel 10 debuted past week, among its caller features was thing called Take a Message. A companion to Call Screen (my favorite Pixel characteristic ever and nan logic I've bought Google phones for nan past 9 years), Take a Message responds to calls you either miss aliases diminution and gives you a transcript.

Also: Considering nan Pixel 10 Pro? I urge buying these 5 phones alternatively - here's why

Since Google advertised this characteristic pinch nan Pixel 10, astir group assumed it was exclusive to nan caller flagship phone. That's not nan case, arsenic Google has confirmed that it's disposable for each Pixel telephone since nan Pixel 4 that came retired successful 2019. 

If you don't spot nan characteristic yet, you should complete nan adjacent fewer weeks. My woman had nan characteristic connected her Pixel 9, but it wasn't location connected an aged Pixel 6 I person sitting around. 

How Take a Message works

Take a Message functions a batch for illustration your accepted voicemail. When you either miss aliases diminution a call, nan caller will perceive a connection that says, "The personification you person called is not available. Please time off a message." When they time off a message, you'll spot a transcript successful your telephone history and a play fastener to perceive nan existent audio if nan transcription misses thing (which it did erstwhile I tried nan characteristic for myself). 

You tin publication nan transcription successful real-time arsenic nan caller is talking and moreover reply nan telephone if you want. 

Also: I'm a diehard Google Pixel instrumentality - here's why I'm not upgrading to nan latest model

The biggest advantage complete voicemail is that you tin find retired why personification called if you're not capable to perceive to a voicemail. If you recorded a civilization voicemail greeting pinch your bearer done nan Phone by Google app, Google said, Take a Message will usage that signaling instead. Otherwise, they'll perceive nan modular recording.

Google warns that Take a Message whitethorn not activity erstwhile your telephone is roaming, erstwhile your telephone is disconnected aliases retired of network, aliases erstwhile you diminution nan telephone while utilizing a Bluetooth headset.

How to usage Take a Message connected a Pixel phone

To alteration Take a Message, caput to nan settings successful your Phone app (not your phone's settings successful general, but specifically nan Phone app's settings). Scroll down until you spot Take a Message. Tap it, and you'll spot nan toggle to move connected nan feature. 

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