Technology and Science · updated 56m ago · 2 min read
Google Starts Call For Me Experiment Letting Gemini Make Routine Calls on Pixel 11 Series
Gemini-powered Call for Me places full business calls on Pixel 11 for bookings and holds. Early preview for paid Gemini subscribers in the US on Pixel 11 with beta Phone.
15 outlets told this the same way.
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11 of 12 outlets skipped it: users can opt out of automated calls from others using Gemini.
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Gemini calls for Pixel 11
Google is starting an early experiment called “Call for Me” on the Pixel 11 series, letting Gemini handle “routine phone calls” to book appointments, place items on hold, and reschedule reservations. Google says the feature is “starting small to get the experience right,” and it is rolling out to Gemini subscribers in the US who are enrolled in the Phone by Google beta on Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold. Google’s Call for Me workflow begins when a user opens the Gemini app and asks it to call a business, and Gemini “introduce[s] itself” and “handle[s] the conversation with the person on the other end.”
Google also says the user can see a live transcript and take over at any point, while Gemini can wait on hold and navigate automated phone menus during the call. Google’s rollout is positioned as an early test rather than a broad release, with access tied to a paid Gemini subscription and the Phone by Google public beta in the US.
Live transcript, user control
Call for Me is going live “today, but only for some,” and the feature is an early preview available to a “very small and select number of users.” Users can open the Gemini app, ask it to call a business, and “it’ll go through all the necessary steps,” including navigating automated phone menus and waiting on hold. The Gemini app displays a live transcript of the call as it happens, and Google says, “You remain in control at all times with a live transcript view and the ability to take over the conversation at any point.”
Call for Me can handle tasks like calling a store to ask if a product is in stock, making a restaurant reservation, moving a scheduled appointment to a different date, or placing items on hold. Google uses the user’s own personal phone number for calls, and the assistant can introduce itself, navigate automated phone menus, wait on hold, and then handle the conversation.
What it can and cannot do
Call for Me initially rolls out to Pixel 11 owners who pay for a Gemini subscription in the U.S., and the beta version of the Google Phone app is required because Google frames the feature as an experiment. Google’s Support website describes Call for Me as a capability that can “book, confirm, and manage appointments and reservations,” while also navigating phone menus and waiting on hold. Call for Me cannot call emergency services like 911, and it cannot complete financial transactions, share sensitive personal information, or make telemarketing calls.
“Calls are placed from the user's own phone number, and a live transcript lets the owner follow the exchange in real time.”
Calls are placed from the user’s own phone number, and a live transcript lets the owner follow the exchange in real time, with taking over mid-call always an option. Google positions the launch as deliberately narrow and a spokesperson told WIRED that the goal is to test across accents and noisy environments, while Gemini will end calls politely when a business cannot accommodate the request.