Gemini can now call businesses for you

What's new

Google has launched an early test version of a new feature in the Gemini app. It is called "Call for Me," and it does something that sounds like pure science fiction: it calls a business on its own and conducts the conversation on your behalf. The AI can call a business, introduce itself, navigate automated phone menus, wait on hold and then handle the conversation with the person on the other end.

So far, only a few people can try it. The feature will first be available to Pixel 11 owners in the US who pay for a Gemini subscription. You also need the beta version of Google's Phone app, as it is still an experiment.

What's clever

The clever part is that you avoid annoying phone queues and having to repeat yourself for every store. Gemini can book a table at a restaurant, check inventory, reschedule an appointment or put an item on hold in one and the same call. And you don't lose control: you can follow the call as it happens and take over the conversation at any time. The feature uses your own phone number to call, and the call is made directly from your phone.

Cheaper or better?

No price for the feature itself has been announced, other than that you need a paid Gemini subscription to try it. On the other hand, it is a big step up from Google's previous attempts. Last year, Google launched a similar feature, but it did not give users the option to take over the phone calls themselves.

Google is not alone with the idea either. With AI agents such as Meta's Muse and Instinct, which can now also make calls on users' behalf, Google is letting Gemini call businesses with the new feature. The difference, however, is transparency: according to one analysis, some of Meta's calls may actually be made by humans in a call center, while Google's version shows every word on the screen as it is spoken.

What it's good at

The feature is made for boring but necessary phone errands. According to Google, it can be used to check stock status for a product, reschedule an appointment or book a dinner reservation, all started directly through the Gemini app simply by telling the assistant what you need.

For ordinary users, this in practice means you can ask your phone to call the hairdresser and move an appointment, or check whether the local hardware store has a certain item in stock, without having to wait on hold yourself. For now, however, only a small group of American Pixel 11 owners can test it, so Danish users will have to wait for a broader rollout.