Google has announced that its popular Call Screening feature will be coming to the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2. Call Screening is a Pixel-exclusive feature that allows users to avoid wasting time on unwanted spam calls. With the expansion of Call Screening to the Pixel Watch series, users will be able to see incoming calls on their connected watch and even answer or decline calls directly from their wrist.
If you’re not familiar with Call Screening, it is a feature that uses Google Assistant to essentially take the call for you. When a call goes to Call Screening, the message left by the caller will appear on the Pixel watch, allowing users to determine whether it’s an important call or just another spam call. This feature has been highly praised by Pixel users as it helps them filter out unwanted calls and prioritize important ones.
One of the major improvements to Call Screening on the Pixel Watch is the introduction of AI-driven responses. Instead of a generic Google Assistant voice asking the caller to leave a message, a new personality will take its place. In a demo, a new AI voice was showcased, delivering a convincing response to an unknown caller with a natural inflection that would make it hard to distinguish from a real person.
Furthermore, with the integration of AI improvements, the virtual calling assistant can determine whether the call is spam or not. If the caller responds with phrases like “You’ve won an all-expenses paid trip,” the virtual assistant will decline the call and not ask for a message. On the other hand, if the caller is an airline confirming a flight, for example, the AI-driven assistant will attempt to connect the call, knowing that it is likely a legitimate call.
Google has stated that these new Call Screening features will be made available in a feature drop later this year for Tensor devices and the Pixel Watch series. This expansion of the Call Screening feature to the Pixel Watch is a welcome addition for users who want to have more control over their incoming calls and avoid wasting time on spam calls. With the advancements in AI, the virtual assistant on the Pixel Watch will be even more capable of determining the nature of incoming calls and providing appropriate responses.