The phone rings and I don’t recognize the number. But that’s okay: I click on the little Assistant icon and the Google machinery starts answering the call for me. I know the assistant’s voice is echoing through the telemarketer’s receiver, I see the transcript in real time as the assistant asks you what you are calling. “Fiber supply,” I read on the screen. “I’ll send you a message,” I guess Google Assistant says get rid of it. All without having to pick up the hook and push a few buttons, it was the future.
Google phone has a call filtering system that allows you to drastically restrict phone spam. In addition, Google recently introduced in Europe the “Call Filter”, a voice recognition system that can answer any communication without the user talking on the phone at any time. That’s wonderful.
Google Assistant doesn’t kill spam, it eliminates (almost) all the hassle
Button to filter calls on the Google Pixel 6
I cannot say that the phone spam with the Google Pixel 6 and the call filter of the phone app is over, I have to clarify: despite the fact that the number of communications is greatly reduced, calls always sneak and cannot be detected. And getting the assistant to talk to these people seems like the invention of the century.
When I saw the Google Duplex demo at Google I / O 2018, I was blown away: the company had made its assistant behave almost like a person; work independently and autonomously not only when it comes to understanding what is being said on the call, but also when it is their turn to answer. And always without losing the thread of its mission: to obtain a reservation for the user.
The call filter which is operational in Europe has some connection with the Duplex, but it is much more limited. The assistant can answer the call and transcribe the conversation to the screen, but it is the user who must guide the conversation, always without picking up the handset. For this, Assistant offers small buttons on the screen such as “It is urgent?“,”More information“,”Call me back” The “Wrong number“By clicking on it, the operator dictates what the user wants. And, once you don’t want to dictate anything, Google Assistant can hang up the call by saying goodbye with a sharp “Goodbye”.
The call filter does not send data to Google: all communications, responses and transcriptions are done on the Google Pixel and without the need for an Internet connection
It is true that you must continue to pay attention to the call. Even like that, not having the obligation to speak to telemarketers seems wonderful to me. Because they don’t make me talk to the machines when I call for help? Now it’s my turn.
Perfect for those who hate talking on the phone. Like me
Google Assistant conversation in progress with a call center operator
I know I am the personalized paradox of smartphone use: I love this device, bought dozens of them and analyzed hundreds, I love to configure them, make the most of them with apps, I pass hours with each new analysis to leave each model as I like it. And yet, I hate talking on the phone
It’s not that I avoid making calls since, because of my job, I have to be on the phone almost daily. However, I could do anything not to pick up the handset, dial a number, and fight to talk to an operator and explain my problems to them. In fact, I have spent months without terminating services just because the only way to cancel them was to call. Google Assistant, I wish you could cancel the gym for me.
The Google Assistant filter is used for all calls, whether the contact is in the phonebook or not
The spam filter deleted commercial calls on my Pixel 6. Besides, now I filter all the calls, it’s wonderful. I don’t know the phone number displayed on the screen? Well let Google Assistant answer it, I’ll see what it wants to transcribe. What if I’m not interested? The assistant will hang up and I will add the number to the blacklist. I already have a few.
