Google’s Phone app gets new Hold for Me feature on Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G

It’s common knowledge that whenever Google launches new phones, many of its apps get specific features that will only work on these new devices, at least initially. The same goes for the new Phone app that comes preloaded on the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, Google’s newly revealed smartphones.

A new feature called Hold for Me is now available in the Phone app on the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G in the United States. It allows users to save waiting time when they’re calling a toll-free number and they’re put on hold. Thanks to the new Hold for Me feature, Google Assistant will wait on the line for you and will notify the user with a sound, vibration, and a prompt on the screen once someone is available to talk.

The new Hold for Me feature uses Google’s Duplex technology that recognizes hold music and understands the difference between a recorded message and rep on the line. While waiting on the line, Google Assistant will mute the call, but you’ll be able to check the screen to see what’s happening.

It’s important to mention that Hold for Me is an optional feature that must be enabled from the settings and activated during each call to a toll-free number. A preview of the feature is available on the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, but it’s likely to arrive on other Pixel phones in the future. Keep in mind though that Hold for Me is only available in the United States at the moment.

Source: Phonearena