Google tests Gemini business calls for paying US Pixel owners

The change is not simply having Gemini wait on hold. Call for Me can share personal information that a user approves, allowing it to attempt more involved jobs, such as moving an appointment or reserving a restaurant table.

Sarah Perez reports for TechCrunch that the experiment will initially roll out in the US to Pixel 11 owners paying for a Gemini subscription. They will also need the beta version of Google’s Phone app for Android.

Your number, with a route back into the call

Calls are dialled directly from the handset using the owner’s phone number. Google says Gemini can introduce itself, navigate automated menus, wait on hold and conduct the conversation. Users can read a live transcript and take over at any point.

Other proposed tasks include checking whether a shop has an item in stock and asking staff to put it aside. These are Google’s claims about the experiment’s capabilities, rather than demonstrated success rates.

Earlier Google calling tools focused on enquiries, phone menus or waiting for a representative. Google says it is starting this broader experiment at a small scale to improve its handling of nuanced real-world conversations.