Pixel 11's newest trick is calling local businesses so you don't have to

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central) What you need to knowPixel 11 users can now delegate routine calls — like checking store inventory, booking appointments, or changing reservations — directly to Gemini.You can monitor the entire conversation via a live transcript on your screen and take over the call at any moment.The preview begins September 24 for Gemini paid subscribers in the Phone by Google Public Beta.Google today introduced a new task for Gemini on the Pixel 11: helping you dodge those pesky calls you keep putting off. The company is testing a feature that allows Gemini to contact businesses for routine tasks such as checking inventory, booking appointments, and changing reservations.The idea builds on Google’s existing Hold for Me and Direct My Call features, which already take care of parts of the experience of a phone call. This time, Gemini goes one step further. You tell it what you need, and it will call the business, identify itself, go through automated menus, wait on hold, and speak with the person who answers, all through the Gemini app.Google’s updated terms say these agentic calls are placed from your own phone number and use an AI-generated voice. That makes the feature less like a glorified voicemail assistant and more like an AI impersonating you.You aren't handing over the phone altogether, though. The experience will include a live transcript so you can follow the conversation as it happens, Google says. If Gemini starts to go off the rails, you can take over the call at any point.(Image credit: Google)Google says it’s limiting the initial rollout as it works through the nuances of real-world conversations. There’s a good practical reason for Google’s decision to limit the initial rollout. These are conversations that are real. Gemini's calls are from real customers trying to book appointments, hold items, or change the date of services, meaning that businesses and the people who work for them have to deal with the AI on the other end.The preview starts on September 24 for Gemini paid subscribers enrolled in the Phone by Google Public Beta, which is limited to Pixel 11 phones in the U.S.Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via X or LinkedIn.