There are still occasions that require you to pick up the phone.
Whether you’re inquiring about your prescription medication from a local pharmacy or itching to yell at an actual customer service representative about your missing package, phone calls are sometimes necessary.
Unfortunately, that means you’ll have to endure the nightmare of being on hold and navigating automated number-based menus for a minimum of 20 minutes just to get started.
But not if you own a Google Pixel smartphone equipped with the Hold for Me and Direct My Call features, which make this arduous process easier for everyday users.
We’re here to walk you through the simple process for using these features so that you can kiss those lost hours goodbye.
How to use Hold for Me
Never waste a minute on hold again
For starters, you must make sure the Hold for Me setting is turned on before you can use it. It’s not too complicated, so this shouldn’t be a barrier to entry.
Just head on over to the Phone app, click the three-line menu in the upper-left corner, select Settings, and scroll down until you see the Hold for Me option.
Click Hold for Me, and you’ll see a singular toggle for the feature. Make sure it’s turned on, and feel free to familiarize yourself with what it does by reading the large paragraphs of information about it.
As is common with many Pixel-specific Android features, when it’s turned on, the hard part is very much over. Using Hold for Me is entirely situational and presents itself when needed.
Basically, if you’re in a call via the Phone app that qualifies, you can press the Call Assist button, and the Hold for Me button will be available. Just press it and the mode will activate.
You’re greeted by a large “Don’t hang up” pop-up that features a Return to call button if you want to get back to the hold music.
When a person returns to the line to take your call, the interface will tell you that someone is ready to talk and prompt you to enter the call.
You can also access the Hold for Me feature while using the Direct My Call feature.
During the transcription, you’ll see a small Magic Cue button at the bottom of the screen that says Hold for Me. Push that at any time during the call to activate the feature.
How to use Direct My Call
Never scream ‘Representative!’ into a phone again
Just like Hold for Me, you need to make sure that Direct My Call is activated before you get started.
It’s almost exactly the same process, though, so you won’t strain your mental muscles figuring it out.
Go to the Phone app, click the three-line menu in the upper-left corner, select Settings, and scroll down until you see the Direct My Call option.
After tapping Direct My Call, you’re greeted with the Direct My Call toggle button, as well as two others that can improve the overall experience of the feature.
Also, like Hold for Me, the Direct My Call feature will pretty much activate whenever you need it, so you don’t need to take any further action.
Simply put, when you make a call to a particular company that has an automated message, Direct My Call automatically turns on and starts transcribing the message for you.
If it doesn’t automatically pop up, you can click the Call assist button again, and you’ll see the Direct My Call button. Pressing this will also bring you to the helpful transcription interface.
After the feature starts transcribing your call, it will also highlight specific actions you need to take to move on.
When calling Nike, for example, I was asked to provide my order number, which was highlighted by the platform, so I knew exactly how to move forward.
New Pixel features abound
It never ends with these phones
Even if you’re an avid Pixel loyalist like me, you know that these kinds of features slip through the cracks all the time.
With Google releasing new Pixel features on a consistent basis, it’s easy to completely miss out on game-changing features like Hold for Me and Direct My Call.
Not every feature is going to change the game for everyone. These two innovations are really only helpful if you ever actually make phone calls to businesses, and with live chat becoming more of a mainstream option, some users may never even come across this functionality.
Still, for those of us trapped on the phone with travel agents and Blockbuster Video employees, it’s a welcome respite from the days of jazzy hold music and frustrating number-based menus.
