Google brings fun to calls with the ‘Audio Emoji’ feature in its phone app; Here’s how it works

Google is introducing a new feature in its phone app called “Audio Emoji”, which adds a fun element to phone calls by integrating sound effects. Originally released in the beta channel, version 128 of the Phone app, this feature is expected to become available to all users in a few weeks.

What is the ‘Audio Emoji’ feature in the Google Phone app?

“Audio Emoji” is a collection of stored sound effects paired with one of the six available emojis: clap, laugh, party, cry (sad trombone), poop, and Sting (Ba Dum Tss). Google describes this feature in the settings of the Phone app, allowing users to express emotions and moods with sounds like applause, laughter or a sad trombone, which can be activated with a tap on the corresponding emoji during a call.

During a call, if you choose one of the six “Audio Emoji”, the Phone app will play a fun animation in the main calling interface, followed by the sound effect for a few seconds. It is important to note that both parties to the call can hear these sound effects.

How to use “Audio Emoji” feature?

There are two ways to access the function “Audio Emoji” in the Phone application: through a button available in the additional menu or directly from the main calling interface, the usual screen visible during a call.

Although Google has not explained why there are two ways to access this feature, users who prefer not to use it “Audio Emoji” I can disable this option in settings. There is also a limit on how often you can use these sound effects during a call; you will have to wait a while between plays.

Using and appreciating a new feature is always subjective. “Audio Emoji” it doesn’t seem to have a real use case outside of adding a playful element to the normal calling experience on Android devices. Additionally, it appears that Google is planning to remove the bottom bar from the Phone app soon.