Google regularly rolls out Android and Pixel updates that add new features to your phone. The latest is a new option to type responses during a phone call, but to start, it's coming to only a small selection of Pixel phones.
The typed response option builds on Live Captions, which saw an expansion to more languages today. As the name suggests, Live Captions will give you written captions of what the speaker on the other end of the call is saying. That's useful for many scenarios, whether for accessibility reasons or if you're in a loud environment.
But if you wanted to respond, you still have to talk back, and the very reason you might want a text copy of what your caller is saying may be why you can't or don't want to speak. The ability to type responses solves that problem. You can pull up a keyboard during the call and type a response; the system will then read it aloud to the caller.
This only works in select languages; alas, Google didn't specify which ones. It's fair to assume English is a likely candidate, however, Android Authority reports.
The new feature also doesn't work for very many phones yet. Google's notes about the new features state that typed responses will only be an option for Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, and Pixel Fold. It's unclear why Pixel 7 and 8 aren't included in that list, despite the Pixel Fold making the cut, or when more phones will be added. The feature is rolling out now, though, and you'll need the Android Accessibility Suite app if you don't already have it installed.
