If you’ve ever wanted to break the ice during a phone call, Google has the perfect tool for you.
The tech giant is introducing a new ‘Audio Emoji’ in its ‘Phone by Google’ app that could catch your chat interlocutor off guard.
As reported by 9to5googleTapping the emoji sends a five-second animation accompanied by a bold sound effect during a call.
Users can select from six emoji in total, including a clap, a sad trombone (“wah wah wah!”), and a fart sound, indicated by the poop emoji.
Here’s how to try Audio Emoji, which seems to be a big hit with users.
Users can select from six audio emojis to play during calls, from a clap to “party” to a fart sound, indicated by the poop emoji.
People took to social media to talk about the feature, with one Reddit user saying: “This is going to be so irritating, I love it!”
Another posted: ‘Did anyone order this? No. Will I continue using it? Yes haha.’
Someone else posted: “Imagine you call your friend after you get fired and talk to them about the stress you’re going through, and suddenly your friend starts playing weird emoji sounds.”
Another Reddit user called Audio Emoji a “great idea” as it could be used to deter scammers on the other end of the line.
Another fan said that Google is indeed “bringing back MSN Winks,” the animations that filled most of your computer screen in MSN Messenger about 20 years ago.
However, someone else on X (Twitter) seemed less impressed and said Google should “focus on making things better.”
According to the tech giant, the tool allows you to “express emotions and moods with sounds like clapping, laughter, sad trombone, and more with emojis that can be tapped while you’re on a call.”
The feature, which can be turned on and off, allows you to better express “emotions and moods with sounds.”
To activate the feature, you must first make sure you have the Phone by Google app installed on your Android device.
However, to use Phone by Google, you must agree to it being set as your default phone app, which can replace any apps you were already using.
Once you initiate a call, a small pop-up button should appear above the menu with the words “Audio Emoji.”
Tapping the button will bring up six emoji options for you to press to irritate or amuse your chat partner.
The ‘Applause’ emoji shows five pairs of hands clapping to the sound of cheers, while the ‘Laughs’ emoji has cheesy canned laughter with an inflatable tube puppet animation.
There are also screams and cheers with balloons and confetti (‘Party’), a drum set playing the classic sequence that follows a joke (‘Sting’) and the sad sound of the trombone (‘Crying’).
Tapping the ‘Poop’ emoji reveals an ice cream cone containing a questionable brown stain that falls to the ground, accompanied by a brief fart sound.
According to 9to5google, the chosen sound effect is heard on both ends of the phone call, although you can have a lot of fun turning on a sound effect and pretending you don’t hear anything.
There’s also a setting to turn off Audio Emoji entirely, although it’s unclear whether you’ll still hear the sound effects if your chat partner has the feature turned on.
To turn it off, go to the menu indicated by the three dots followed by Settings and then Audio Emoji.
Google tends to have its Phone by Google app pre-installed on its own Pixel smartphones. In the photo, Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro launched in 2023
Google’s latest Pixel phone is expected to launch in October, although the tech giant could offer a sneak peek at its i/o event next week.
If you can’t see Audio Emoji in the app yet, it should be released to all users in the coming weeks, according to 9to5google.
Google tends to have its Phone by Google app pre-installed on its own Pixel smartphones, while other Android devices (like Samsung) will have another default app pre-installed.
Google’s latest Pixel phone is expected to launch in October, although the tech giant could offer a sneak peek at its i/o event on May 14.
Last year, it launched the £699 Pixel 8 and £99 Pixel 8 Pro, as well as its Pixel Fold priced at an eye-watering £1,749.
