Google seems to be working on a new feature for its Phone app that lets users take control of their current call session from the home screen with a floating bubble. The in-call bubble was spotted in the Google Phone version 11 and takes the form of a phone icon enclosed in a circle which shows up near the middle-left edge of the home screen once the user presses the Home key.
The feature provides users with more options for managing ongoing calls; among other things, it allows you to end the call, switch off the microphone, and turn on the loudspeaker. If you wish to return to the main screen of the call session, you can do so by long-pressing the same icon on the home screen. Keep in mind that while the bubble initially appears in the left corner of your phone, you can relocate the icon to any spot on your home screen. There is no word yet from Google as to whether the call management feature being tested for its Phone app is rolling out to all users, though only a limited number of people currently seem to have access to it, according to initial reports on the matter. For the time being, it seems that Google is simply testing the functionality and there are still no guarantees that the feature will eventually hit the stable channel and be available to all users.
The Mountain View, California-based company has added a plethora of new features to its Phone app in recent times. This May, it was reported that the voicemail backup support was coming to the service based on strings of code discovered in one of its APK files. The feature would allow users to supplement a call with more relevant information through a text message, helping recipients gain more insights regarding their recent conversations. Around the same time, a “Paw Mode” was also found in version 9.0 of the Phone app, providing users with an amusing Easter egg on every incoming call screen. Google is likely to continue supporting its mobile service for the foreseeable future and an update on its efforts to do so should follow shortly.
