In summary:
- Tech Advisor reports a privacy bug in Google Pixel phones’ ‘Take a Message’ feature that allows callers to hear the user’s environment audio while leaving voicemails.
- The issue affects various Pixel models from older 4a devices to newer Pixel 10, though Google confirms only a small number of users are impacted.
- Users can resolve this privacy-compromising bug by disabling the ‘Take a Message’ function in their Phone app while Google actively investigates the issue.
An unusual bug has been discovered in the Pixel Phone app that sees your audio leaked to the caller during a message.
The Take a Message feature arrived last year has a handy means for Pixel users to manage their missed and declined calls. It’s essentially a more sophisticated and seamless answering service that also provides a real time transcription of what the caller is saying, so you can still nip in and take the call if it’s important.
However, a small number of Pixel phone users have reported a worrying bug that sees your own audio transmitted to the caller in such a scenario, rather than the other way around. The person calling is apparently able to hear what’s going on at your end while they’re recording their message.
As 9to5Google reports, this appears to be an extremely rare bug that has affected a mere six people over the past four months. The first instance was noted on Reddit in September by a Google Pixel 5 owner.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Pixel bug reports
You might conclude that this is an issue with older hardware, especially when you learn that three Google Pixel 4a owners have also reported the bug. The fly in that particular ointment, however, is news of a single Google Pixel 10 owner experiencing the same bug in mid-November.
This is a vanishingly small number of bug reports, and it seems deactivating the Take a Message function sorts the problem. It’s enough to warrant some attention, however, with Google responding that “Our team is aware of these reports and is actively investigating.”
If you’re in the unlikely position of experiencing this privacy-compromising bug, head to the Phone app and tap the More menu button. Head to the bottom of the Call Assist section and tap Take a Message, then hit the toggle switch to turn the faulty feature off.
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.