Crystal Cox/Business Insider
- Google is adding a new feature that eliminates having to wait on hold.
- Hold for Me uses Google Assistant to wait on a call and detect when a human being has picked up. Then, it will alert you that it’s time to return to the call.
- The feature will be available on Google’s new Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G to start, but Google said it will eventually come to older Pixel devices as well.
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Google is adding a new feature that eliminates an irritating part of modern life: waiting on hold.
The feature, called Hold for Me, will come in handy any time you’re stuck listening to a recorded message or music while waiting to speak with a human being over the phone. Hold for Me will wait on the call for you, using Google Assistant to detect when a human has come on the line. Then, it sends a notification asking if you’d like to return to the call.
While you’re waiting, the call will be muted, but Google Assistant will create captions on your phone screen in real time so you can check for yourself what’s happening on the call.
The new feature was announced Wednesday as part of Google’s Launch Night In event, where it debuted new Nest smart speakers and new Pixel phones, including the Pixel 5. Hold for Me will be available in a preview mode on the Pixel 5 and the new 5G version of the Pixel 4a, though Google said it will eventually come to older Pixel phones as well.
Hold for Me is one of a handful of new features Google has launched over the last several years that aim to reduce friction during phone calls. Most recently, Google announced Verified Calls, an Android feature that will display the name and logo of a business, as well as their reason for calling you. The goal is to help customers feel secure knowing that it’s a verified business on the other end of the line during a time when scam calls are on the rise.
Last fall, Google launched a feature called Call Screen, which automatically weeds out scam calls, screening them without you having to do it manually. And in 2018, Google debuted Duplex, an artificial intelligence feature that has the ability to book appointments or restaurant reservations on your behalf. Google said that Hold for Me uses Duplex technology to understand the difference between a real person and a recording.