Let Google Assistant wait on hold for you
Source: Android Police
Hold for Me allows you to go about your day when you’re on hold. When you activate Hold for Me, you can put your phone down. It notifies you via sound, vibration, and a notification when someone is on the line. It’s a handy tool that can improve your Android experience.
This guide shows you how to activate and use Hold for Me. The feature is only available in the U.S., Australia, and Canada, but Google will likely expand it to new regions. Also, Hold for Me is only available on Google Pixel 3 phones or later. If it’s a feature you need, the Google Pixel 6a tops our list of best Android budget phones.
Things to know before activating Hold for Me
Before you start using Hold for Me, there are a couple of things you should know to use this feature correctly.
- The Hold for Me feature isn’t perfect. It may not detect when you come off hold in every situation.
- You can’t play audio while it’s active.
- Your phone must not be on silent or vibrate.
When we tested this feature, some members of Android Police noted that they couldn’t access Hold for Me despite meeting the eligibility requirements. We’ll update this article when we discover a fix.
How to enable Hold for Me on your Android phone
- Open the Phone by Google app.
- Tap the three-dot menu button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Tap Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Tap Hold for Me.
- Toggle the Hold for Me switch to on.
How to use the Hold for Me feature on a call
- Wait to be left on hold.
- Tap Hold for Me.
- Tap Start.
- Tap Return to call to end Hold for Me and resume the conversation.
Hold for Me mutes the call and displays live captions on your screen. This way, you can check if an estimated wait time has changed or if you need to return to your phone while on hold.
What is Pixel Call Assist?
Hold for Me is one of a suite of features that can improve your calling experience, collectively named Pixel Call Assist. These features encompass assistive tools found on the Google Phone app. Not all these features are available on all Pixel phones. However, owners of the new Google Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro have access to all of them. Users of earlier Pixel phones still have plenty of features to assist them.
Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro users can use the following:
- Clear Calling: Filters out background noise and enhances the voice on the other end of the line.
- Direct My Call: Transcribes automated phone menus, allowing you to skip the tedium of having every item listed for you.
Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and earlier users can use:
- Call Screen: Informs you of who is calling and why before you pick up the phone. It can also automatically filter out spam calls.
- Wait Times: Lets you know how long you should expect to wait.
- Hold for me: Except for Pixel and Pixel 2 users.
Use Hold for Me to spend less time on the phone
Everyone’s been stuck on hold for an hour or more at times, and Hold for Me makes this experience bearable. If you’d rather text than make a phone call, there are some nifty tips and tricks for Google Messages that you can try.
