Expansion Ahead for Google's 'Take a Message' Voicemail Feature
A teardown of the latest Google Phone app suggests the "Take a Message" feature—currently exclusive to Pixel devices—is preparing for a major global rollout to non-Pixel phones.
Code in the Google Phone app v221.0.909663815 points to a significant expansion of the "Take a Message" feature, codenamed "Beesly." This voicemail tool automatically answers missed calls, provides real-time transcriptions, and displays those transcripts directly on the Phone app's Home page. It is also capable of detecting spam from unknown callers.
Currently, the feature is limited to Pixel 6 and newer devices in five markets: Australia, Canada, Ireland, the UK, and the US. However, new code strings uncovered by developers suggest this is about to change.
Non-Pixel Devices on the Horizon
A string labeled enabledBeeslyV2NonPixel strongly indicates that Google is testing this functionality on non-Pixel hardware. This would mark a major departure from the feature's current exclusivity.
Two-Tiered Expansion Plans
The code reveals a split strategy for the rollout, dividing markets into two categories:
Audio-Only Markets
The string enableBeeslyV2AudioOnlyMarkets lists countries where users may only receive audio recordings of missed calls, without the transcription service. These markets include:
Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan.
Full Audio & Transcript Markets
A separate string, enableBeeslyV2TranscriptMarkets, lists countries where both audio recordings and real-time transcriptions are expected to be available:
Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Japan.
A Specific Flag for India
Notably, the code includes enableBeeslyV2InMarket, which appears to control the feature specifically for India, indicating a dedicated test or launch plan for that region.
Important Caveats
As this analysis is based on a teardown of work-in-progress code, the features described may not be released publicly. Google has not made any official announcements regarding these specific plans.
For now, the "Take a Message" feature remains a Pixel-exclusive benefit, but the groundwork for a much wider release appears to be in motion.