Google’s new ‘Call Reason’ feature might just save you from ignoring the wrong call

Phone calls always show up with zero context, so most people just ignore them. Whether you’re busy or out with friends, it’s easy to assume it can wait. The problem is that real emergencies — like your car stalling or getting locked out of your house — end up treated the same way. You can’t tell what matters until it’s too late. Google is finally tackling this issue with a new feature for the Phone by Google app.

Android’s call experience hasn’t changed much in years, but signs of more contextual calls recently surfaced in an APK teardown by Android Authority. It hinted that Google was working on something called Expressive Calling, a visual layer that adds personality to calls through animations and emojis. But buried deeper was a more practical way to tell someone why you’re calling before they even pick up.

That feature is now official. Google calls it “Call Reason,” and it’s currently in beta for the Phone by Google app. You get a simple toggle that lets you flag a call to a saved contact as urgent, and the other person sees that label right on their incoming call screen. If they miss it, that urgent badge doesn’t vanish, but sticks around in their call history as a clear signal that this isn’t the type of call you return three hours later during a lull in your day.

This matches earlier details found in our teardown, where code strings referenced letting users share context like “urgent” or other specific reasons for the call. The move feels overdue, but it solves a surprisingly common problem: people ignoring calls because they look routine.

For now, Call Reason only works with saved contacts, a choice that sounds restrictive but makes sense. The last thing anyone needs is scammers slapping “urgent” on every spam attempt. Google hasn’t said whether more granular options, like custom call reasons, will roll out, but our recent teardown suggests the underlying system is flexible enough to expand.