A bug in the Pixel's call assistance feature caused audio to be sent to the caller even when the caller wasn't answered, so the feature was disabled on older Pixels.



The feature '

Take a Message ,' which allows AI to answer voicemails, was introduced in the Pixel's default calling app. It was reported that the caller's voice was not only recorded but also transmitted to the recipient. Google announced that this issue only occurs on some older Pixel models, and that it will disable Take a Message on older devices.

Update on Take a Message on Pixel 4 and 5 Devices - Google Pixel Community
https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/405570872



Google confirms 'Take a Message' mic bug, disabling on old Pixels
https://9to5google.com/2026/01/28/pixel-take-a-message-bug/

Pixel Phone app 'Take a Message' bug might leak your audio
https://9to5google.com/2026/01/22/pixel-phone-app-take-a-message-bug/

Pixel's call assistance feature, 'Take a Message,' announced alongside the Pixel 10, automatically responds to missed or ignored calls. You can listen to the recording later, and the caller's response is transcribed in real time, so even if you don't answer because you don't know who's calling, you can view the transcript and respond if necessary. Take a Message expanded to more countries in September 2025, and is now available on Pixel 4 and later devices, not just the Pixel 10.

Google's Pixel smartphone will be equipped with features such as 'black and white display of Google Maps to extend battery life' and 'AI-based call transcription' - GIGAZINE



Some users have reported a bug with Take a Message. A September 2025 Reddit post stated , 'When I call someone on a Pixel 5 and it goes to voicemail, I can hear the person's voice while they're leaving a voice message.' Other users reported similar issues, including 'I'm having the same issue with my Pixel 4a' and 'I'm having the same issue with my Pixel 10.' The users stated that disabling Take a Message resolved the issue.

Furthermore, according to a January 2026 Reddit post, a user reported hearing sounds from the recipient's room on their answering machine. They tested the feature and found that if they ignored the call and activated Take a Message, a microphone icon appeared in the top right corner of the recipient's Pixel device, and the microphone was actually working, allowing the caller to hear the audio. The user wrote, 'Even though I didn't answer the call, the audio was still coming through as if I had answered. This is the worst glitch I've ever encountered.' The user was using a Pixel 4a.

The issue has only been reported in a few cases, mainly on a small number of older smartphones, and is believed to be a bug caused by the implementation of a new feature in the calling app on devices that do not support OS updates. Google responded, 'Our team is aware of these reports and is actively investigating them.'

As a result, Google posted an update to message receiving on Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 on January 28, 2026. According to Google, the bug that causes the receiver's microphone to function in Take a Message occurs 'under very limited and rare circumstances on a very small number of Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 devices.' Therefore, Google announced that it would disable Take a Message and Next Generation Call Screening on Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 devices.



When asked by The Verve whether these features would be permanently removed from the Pixel 4 and 5, or whether they would return in the future, Google Community Manager Siri Tejaswini said, 'For now, affected Pixel users can continue to use manual or automatic call screening, or their carrier's voicemail instead.' She declined to say whether next-generation call screening would return to older Pixel devices.

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in Software,   Smartphone, Posted by log1e_dh