What Google Phone app bug leaked audio to callers?

A bug in the 'Take a Message' feature inadvertently caused microphones to activate, leaking audio to callers who were leaving voicemail messages.

Which Pixel devices were affected by the audio leak bug?

The bug affected a small subset of Pixel 4 and 5 devices under specific and rare circumstances.

What is Google doing about the Pixel audio leak bug?

Google is disabling the 'Take a Message' and next-gen Call Screen features on affected Pixel devices as a precautionary measure.

Home / Technology / Pixel Phone Bug: Audio Leaked to Callers!

Pixel Phone Bug: Audio Leaked to Callers!

29 Jan

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Summary

Google acknowledged a bug that leaked audio to callers.
The issue affected the 'Take a Message' feature on Pixel phones.
Google is disabling the feature on affected Pixel devices.

Pixel Phone Bug: Audio Leaked to Callers!

Google has confirmed a bug in its Phone app that led to audio being inadvertently leaked to callers on older Pixel devices. The issue specifically impacted the 'Take a Message' feature, which is designed to answer and transcribe voicemails.

A small subset of Pixel 4 and 5 users reported that their microphones activated while callers were leaving messages, effectively broadcasting room audio. This occurred without the caller hearing the standard voicemail greeting.

As a precautionary measure, Google is disabling both the 'Take a Message' and next-generation Call Screen features on these specific devices. Affected users can continue to utilize manual call screening, automatic Call Screening, or their carrier's voicemail service.