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Google Tests ‘Expressive Calling’ to Flag Urgent Calls in Phone App Beta

An APK teardown of the latest Phone app beta reveals an unannounced tool that sends preset call reasons via SMS.

Overview

  • The in-development feature lets callers pick a short “Call Reason,” including options like “It’s urgent!,” before placing a call.
  • If the recipient has the feature enabled, calls marked urgent can make sound and override Do Not Disturb, with “Missed Urgent Call” notifications noted in strings.
  • Sending the chosen reason appears to rely on SMS, and the Phone by Google app requests SMS permission to use the capability.
  • The discovery comes from decompiling the public beta of Phone by Google version 201.0.833052069, with strings referencing the codename “expresso.”
  • Google has not announced the feature or a rollout timeline, and reports suggest it could debut on Pixel devices first.