Android phones are finally getting a way to flag 'urgent' calls

What you need to know

• Android is finally adding call context, letting callers say why they’re calling — including marking a call as urgent.
• The feature, called Expressive Calling, is live in the Phone by Google beta and is a first for Android.
• Urgent calls show a clear “It’s urgent!” message with an animated siren and stay labeled in the call log if missed.

Google is rolling out a new calling experience in the Phone by Google app that lets callers signal why they’re calling, including if the call is urgent. This is the first time Android has offered this, and some beta testers are already using it.

Until now, Android users had to use "Starred Contacts" or repeat caller settings to filter unwanted calls, but those were always blunt instruments. Google is changing this with a new feature called Expressive Calling, now available in the Google Phone app beta (via 9to5Google).

With this update, your contacts can tell you the reason for their call before you answer, a feature that was spotted in November before Google made it official earlier this month.

The idea is straightforward but overdue. When you make a call, the app can ask if it’s urgent. If you choose urgent, the person you’re calling will see an “It’s urgent!” message along with an animated siren emoji. If they miss the call, the urgent label stays in the call log, so it’s clear this was not just a regular call.

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This ties into a broader feature Google has been testing called Call Reason. Instead of calls being anonymous interruptions, Android can now add context to them. This is especially helpful when Do Not Disturb is on. Depending on the recipient’s settings, an urgent call can either break through Do Not Disturb or appear quietly, still marked as important.

Contacts-only safety net

The main change is that you now have more choice. You’re no longer forced to whitelist people permanently just in case something goes wrong one day.

However, Expressive Calling is not available to everyone yet. For now, it only works if both the caller and the recipient are using the Phone app beta. This limits who can use it, but it also shows that Google is still testing the feature before releasing it widely.

Of course, there is a risk that people might misuse the urgent label. If every call is marked urgent, it will lose its meaning. Google seems to know about this risk, which is probably why the feature is being released slowly and with controls for users.