Google Assistant on Pixel 4 might save you the wait while your call is on hold

Tired of listening to annoying elevator music while your call is placed on hold? Google Assistant could soon come to your rescue. A source tells 9to5Google that the Pixel 4 series could debut a feature which allows the Google Assistant to take over your phone calls when you’re placed on hold. Just tap a button and you’re free to go about your business.

According to the source, the “Hold my Phone” feature is in the early stages of development and might not be available with the Pixel 4 series at the get-go.

There’s no mention of when and if other Android phones will get it, or if it’ll be a region-specific feature at first like Google Duplex. However, the source is pretty sure that the feature will first roll out to the new Pixels.

How does it work?

Well, it’s as simple as it sounds. You will reportedly be able to see an option on the screen to give the Google Assistant control of a call placed on hold. The Assistant will then notify you once a human voice returns to the phone so you can take back control of the call. This would potentially save you the excruciating wait until the person on the other line is ready to talk again.

The new feature could be one from Google’s bag of tricks it’s saving for its October launch event. The Mountain View-based company has a history of offering Pixel-first features at launch.

For instance, the Pixel phones were first to feature the Google Assistant and also the first to get support for Google’s Daydream VR. Other Android phones got these abilities after a period of Pixel exclusivity. Similarly, Google could tease the Hold My Phone feature at its upcoming event and eventually roll it out to Pixel 4 phones first.

Google’s AI assistant is clearly getting smarter by the day and the company is only expected to release more clever features as time goes by. Last year, Google showed off Assistant’s ability to screen calls on the Pixel 3. The feature helps users avoid telemarketers and other unwanted calls.

Other recent Google Assistant additions include an Ambient Mode to quickly access info on an idle device, assignable reminders, and real-time language translations.