Google Phone App tests ‘Call Reason’ feature to label urgent calls

What Happened: You know how you stare at a ringing phone, wondering why someone is calling? Google is fixing that.

• It’s working on a feature called “Expressive Calling” that lets you tag a reason to your call before the other person even picks up.
• Code hidden inside the latest beta version of the Phone app reveals that it’s testing a system (codenamed “expresso”) where you can tap a reason – like “Catch up,” “News to share,” or “Quick question” – before you dial.
• The app then zaps that info to the person you’re calling so they see it on their screen.
• But the “Urgent” option is the real wild card. If you choose “It’s urgent!” and both people have the feature turned on, the call can actually punch right through “Do Not Disturb” settings, playing a sound and leaving a special missed call alert. Right now, it looks like this will be a Pixel-exclusive perk at launch.

Why Is This Important: Let’s be honest, nobody likes answering the phone anymore.

• We all screen calls because we don’t know if it’s a scam, a pocket dial, or an actual emergency.
• This feature changes the etiquette. It borrows the “context” we love in text messages and applies it to actual voice calls.
• It makes the phone app feel less like a fossil and more like a modern tool. Plus, having a built-in “break glass in case of emergency” button for DND is a genuine safety upgrade that doesn’t require a third-party app.

Why Should I Care: If you’re the type who keeps your phone on silent 24/7 (guilty!), this is huge.

• It means you won’t miss a genuine emergency just because you were napping or in a meeting.
• On the flip side, when you see “Catch up” on the screen, you know it’s safe to ignore it until you’re free.
• It basically gives you permission to screen your calls without the guilt, helping you manage your time better.

What’s Next: Google hasn’t given an official launch date, but since the code is already hiding in the beta app, we’ll probably see it in a Pixel Feature Drop pretty soon.

• It’ll likely start on Pixels only, but hopefully, it eventually rolls this out to everyone else on Android.
• As the feature grows, we might even see options to type in our own custom reasons.