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Google Tests Call Reason in Phone App to Flag Urgent Calls

The beta shows an urgency label on recipients’ screens but currently works only between saved contacts using Google’s default dialer.

Overview

  • Callers can tap a new prompt to mark an outgoing call as urgent, which triggers an on-screen “It’s urgent!” notice for the recipient with an animated indicator.
  • If the person doesn’t answer, the urgent tag persists in the call log to help them spot and return important missed calls.
  • The trial is rolling out through the Phone by Google app as a beta, with availability varying by device maker and updates delivered via the Play Store.
  • Functionality is limited to calls between users who both have Phone by Google set as the default and are saved in each other’s contacts, so unknown numbers are excluded for now.
  • Separate updates to Google Messages introduce warnings for group chats created by unknown numbers, with options to leave, block, and report spam.