Android’s new Reason to Call flags important calls before answering them

Android users will soon have the option to add an “urgent” indicator to their calls, which will appear on the recipient’s incoming calls screen and in their call log if they don’t answer. It’s a new feature in beta testing in the Phone by Google app, Call Reason, that will only work for people who are already saved in your contact list, and if you’re both using Google’s default calling app on Android phones.

If you send calls to voicemail often (or your friends don’t answer your calls), this feature lets you tell each other when you’re calling about something important, or when you need to talk right away, without sending a separate text message.

Right now, Calling Reason is only used to mark calls as “urgent,” but it would also be nice to see more options in the future, like a custom message or emoji to show why you’re calling. Since the reason for calling message also appears in the call log, it can also serve as a useful reminder to call someone back about something specific if you can’t answer it at the moment.

Calling Reason is being rolled out as a beta feature, and availability will vary by phone manufacturer. You can check for update on your phone by tapping your profile icon in the Google Play Store, “Manage apps and devices,” and “Check for updates.” You can also double-check that you’re using Phone by Google to make your calls by going to the Settings app, then Apps and Default Apps.