Google has announced that it is testing a new Gemini capability: Gemini can now call businesses on behalf of customers.
For now, the Gemini "Call for Me" feature is limited to Pixel 11 users in the U.S. with a paid Google AI subscription plan and the Gemini mobile app. Google's support page also lists a few more requirements: users must be 18 or older, have a U.S. SIM card, use the public beta of the Phone by Google app, and set their device language to English. For now, Gemini can only call U.S. phone numbers.
Google says it is rolling the feature out gradually, so even eligible users may not see it right away. According to TechCrunch, Google has stated Gemini's Call for Me feature is starting small because real-world conversations are nuanced and it wants time to get the experience right before a broader rollout.
What Gemini Call for Me Can Do
Gemini can call businesses to get hours, product availability, service quotes, and other information. It can also book, confirm, and manage appointments and reservations, navigate phone menus, and wait on hold.
This goes further than the calling tools Pixel owners already have. "Hold for Me" waits on the line and alerts you when a person picks up, and "Direct My Call" helps you work through automated menus. Last year, Google's "Ask for Me" feature let Gemini call businesses to ask about simple things like pricing or services.
Gemini's new Call for Me feature combines those capabilities and adds the ability to share personal details you approve of, which Google says lets Gemini take a broader set of actions.
Calls go out over your mobile network from your own phone number, so standard carrier rates apply.
How Gemini Call for Me Works
Here is the process Google describes for using Gemini's Call for Me feature to contact a business:
- Open the Gemini mobile app on your Pixel and ask it to make a call. You can also include @Call for me in your prompt.
- Give Gemini the specifics. Google recommends including dates, times, preferences, and alternative options.
- Review the summary Gemini prepares, which shows the number it will call and the details it plans to share, such as your name and contact info.
- Ask Gemini to adjust the task if anything is off.
- Tap Call for me to start.
Once the call connects, Gemini opens by disclosing that it is an AI assistant from Google calling on a recorded line on your behalf, and it states your name. You can cancel before the call connects.
After that, you can follow a live transcript in the Gemini app or listen to the live audio, and your microphone stays muted by default. If you want to step in, tap Take over. Gemini announces that you're taking over and then leaves the call.
When the call ends, you get a notification with a summary of the outcome. The full transcript and a recording of the call are saved in your call history in the Phone app. Google also sets daily limits on how many calls Gemini can make for you.
What Gemini Call for Me Won't Do
Gemini cannot call emergency services, make payments or complete other financial transactions, or relay sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers, financial details, passwords, or health information. It also can't be used for telemarketing.
The payment restriction may matter more for some local businesses than others. For instance, if a restaurant wants a deposit to hold a table, Gemini can't provide a card number, so the customer would have to take over or handle that step themselves.
Google's Examples of How To Use Call for Me (And a Few of Our Own)
Google's support page gives two sample prompts:
- "Call [Restaurant Name] and book a table for two at 7 PM tomorrow."
- "Ask the dry cleaner on Main Street how much they charge to hem pants."
Here is how the same idea could play out for other local businesses:
- A customer asks Gemini to call a local garden center, check whether they have five bags of cedar mulch, and have them held for pickup after 5 PM.
- A customer asks Gemini to call an auto repair shop, find out if they can fit in an oil change Thursday afternoon, and ask what they charge for synthetic oil.
- A customer asks Gemini to call their barber and move Saturday's 10 AM appointment to any time on Sunday.
- A customer asks Gemini to call a pet groomer, ask about their price for a large dog, and confirm whether they have openings next week.
Each of these is a call a customer might put off if they're busy, and each ends with a business either winning or losing a sale or booking based on how the call goes.
Why We Think Gemini Calling Businesses Is Here to Stay
It's important to keep in mind that Gemini's Call for Me feature is in early testing, and Google may change or narrow the feature before it reaches more people. Still, we expect Gemini calling businesses to stick around in one form or another, for three reasons.
First, Google has been working toward this for years. It showed Google Assistant phoning a salon to book an appointment at its 2018 I/O developer conference. Since then it has added Hold for Me, Direct My Call, and Ask for Me. Call for Me reads like the next natural progression of Google's efforts to automate everyday calls for Pixel users.
Second, Google has spent 2026 pushing hard on agentic commerce, where AI completes tasks on a person's behalf. In January, it announced the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard meant to let AI agents handle checkout in AI Mode and the Gemini app. In August, it gave Ask Maps agentic abilities such as adding food orders to carts, comparing and helping book hotels, and surfacing event tickets, while leaving the final approval to the user.
Third, agentic commerce only works for businesses that are set up for it. Plenty of local businesses, from salons to repair shops to dry cleaners, still take lots of bookings and questions by phone. Call for Me covers those businesses, and they don't have to change anything on their end, they just have to keep answering the phone.
What Local Businesses Should Do Now
Few businesses are likely to start seeing Gemini calls right away, given the Pixel 11 and subscription requirements, but it's still worth planning for a larger rollout in the near future:
- Keep your Google Business Profile accurate: Google hasn't said how Gemini finds the number it dials, but prompts like the dry cleaner example refer to a business by name and location, so GBP listing data likely matters.
- Make sure your phone menu works: Gemini navigates menus and waits on hold, so a broken or confusing phone tree can cost you a booking. The simpler the better.
- Prepare staff for an AI caller: Gemini identifies itself and the person it represents at the start of the call, so your team will know what they're dealing with. Make staff don't hang up and give clear, direct answers on availability, pricing, and hours.
- Know your options: Google's support page says people can opt out of receiving automated calls from Gemini users at g.co/gemini/opt-out. Opting out could also mean turning away customers who choose to call this way, so weigh it carefully.
It's also worth noting that there's a very real possibility Google starts evaluating businesses' responses to Gemini calls, which could hypothetically impact their visibility down the road. It already does this for Local Services Ads (LSA) calls and rewards businesses that consistently answer calls with higher visibility.
FAQs
What is Gemini's Call for Me?
It's a feature that lets Gemini call businesses for you to ask questions, book appointments/make reservations, and wait on hold.
Who can use Gemini to call businesses right now?
Adults in the US with a Pixel 11, a US SIM, a Google AI subscription, the Phone by Google public beta, and English set as the device language.
Does the business know it's an AI calling when Gemini calls for me?
Yes. Gemini starts every call by saying it's an AI assistant from Google calling on a recorded line on the customer's behalf.
Can Gemini make payments over the phone?
No. Google says Gemini can't make payments or share financial information on a call.
Can customers step in during a Gemini call?
Yes. They can watch a live transcript, listen in, and take over the call at any point.
