Google is planning to introduce an unusual but potentially entertaining feature into its Android phone app: audio emojis, Der Spiegel reports. These emojis are sound effects that can be played during phone calls.
According to the tech blog “9to5Google,” the feature will be integrated into the upcoming version of the phone app, with six available sounds including applause, laughter, party, crying (depicted by a trombone), and drumroll.
The use of these audio emojis will be facilitated through a button in the phone menu or a button overlaid on the screen. Clicking on it will open a dropdown menu from which users can select and play a sound effect. To prevent phone calls from being overwhelmed by the longer tones, there will be a mandatory pause after each emoji before another can be played. Users annoyed by the feature can disable it in the phone app settings.
The introduction of this feature could garner further attention at the Google I/O developer conference on May 14. In addition to topics like artificial intelligence, the upcoming Android 15 will also be discussed, although there is no trace of the audio emojis in the current beta version.
