Let Google Assistant wait on hold for you
Source: Android Police
Hold for Me is an exclusive feature for Google Pixel phones. Available through the Google Phone app, it notifies you when you come off hold. This lets you put your phone down or mute hold music without missing a representative coming on the line.
If this is a feature you can’t miss out on, the Google Pixel 6a is the best Android budget phone you can buy. But if you need an extra nudge, here are some fantastic Pixel-exclusive features alongside Hold for Me.
This guide shows you how to activate and use Hold for Me. There are a couple of issues with the feature, so read carefully to avoid problems.
Things to know before activating Hold for Me
Hold for Me has a few limitations you must be aware of:
- It’s only available on the Pixel 3 and above.
- Hold for Me occasionally does not detect when you come off hold in every situation.
- Audio from other apps is disabled while Hold for Me is active.
- Your phone must not be on silent or vibrate.
Despite Google claiming that Hold for Me occasionally does not work, we at AP have not had an issue when testing the feature.
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
- Tap Hold for Me.
- Tap Start.
- When a representative joins the line, the Someone’s waiting to talk to you prompt appears on your screen.
- Tap Return to call to end Hold for Me and resume the conversation.
Hold for Me displays live captions, making it easy to check the status of your call at a glance. For example, you can see where you are in a queue.
What is Pixel Call Assist?
Pixel Call Assist is a suite of features that include Hold for Me. They encompass assistive tools found on the Google Phone app and are mainly exclusive to Pixel Phones. Availability per device varies, but owners of the new Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro have access to all of them.
Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro users can use the following:
- Clear Calling: 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.
- In testing, we at AP sometimes had issues with the transcription menu disappearing.
Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and earlier users can use:
- Call Screen: Filters out spam calls and shows who is calling before you pick up the phone.
- Wait Times: Estimates hold wait times. Perfect when paired with Hold for Me.
- Hold for Me: Except for Pixel and Pixel 2 users.
Use Hold for Me to spend less time on the phone
Hold for Me is a fantastic feature that takes a lot of the frustration out of waiting on the phone. It, and the rest of the Pixel Call Assist features, are one of the best reasons for owning a Pixel phone.
Google Phone comes preinstalled on many Android phones alongside Google Messages, which is the best RCS-enabled app available. Google Messages offers plenty of useful features to improve your texting experience, so owners of a new Pixel phone can call or text with ease.
