Are you tired of being put on hold? New Google feature will notify you when someone picks up – Edexlive

The next time someone puts you on hold during a call, relax as the Google Assistant will listen carefully to repetitive messages and music. Google has launched a new feature called Hold for Me in its phone app that will help users get their time back.

Starting with an early preview on the recently launched Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) smartphones in the US, when you call a toll-free number and a business puts you on hold, the Google Assistant can wait in line. for you. “You can go back to your day and the Google Assistant will notify you with sound, vibration and a message on your screen once someone is on the line and ready to talk: the company said Wednesday.

The ‘Hold for Me’ feature is powered by Google’s Duplex technology, which not only recognizes music on hold, but also understands the difference between a recorded message and a representative on the line. Once a representative is identified, the Google Assistant will notify you that someone is ready to speak and will ask the representative to wait a moment while you return to the call.

“We collected feedback from various companies, including Dell and United, as well as studies with customer support representatives, to help us design these interactions and make the feature as useful as possible for people on both sides of the call.” the company said.

While the Google Assistant waits for you, understanding Google’s natural language also keeps users informed. “Your call will be muted to allow you to focus on something else, but at any time, you can check the captions in real time on your screen to see what is happening on the call.” The ‘Wait for me’ tool is an optional feature that can be enabled in settings and chosen to activate during each call to a toll free number.

To determine when a representative is on the line, the audio is fully processed on the device and does not require a data connection or Wi-Fi. The company said that no audio from the call will be shared with Google or saved to your Google account unless you explicitly decide to share it and help improve the feature. “When you return to the call after the Google Assistant was on hold, the audio stops processing completely,” the company said. Last year, Google introduced a call screen update that helps users avoid unwanted call interruptions once and for all. Last month, the company launched Verified Calls to help people find out why a business is calling before responding.