The Pixel Phone app gained a new “Take a Message” feature. It does exactly what it sounds like: “handle your missed or declined calls.” If you decline or miss a call, the feature comes into play and asks the caller what the call is about. However, it appears there’s a weird audio bug in the Pixel Phone app . Some users are reportedly facing an issue where “Take a Message” is leaking their audio to the caller.
The Pixel Phone app’s bug might be leaking your audio to callers
The “Take a Message” feature, when you miss/decline a call, reads the message: “The person you have called is not available. Please leave a message after the tone.” Google announced this with the Pixel 10 and later rolled it out to older Pixels in the US, UK, Ireland, and Australia. It’ll also flag spam in the call log.
While the option on paper looks quite productive, there have been some reports from users facing a weird audio issue. Reportedly, the “Take a Message” activates and then sends the caller background audio. In simple terms, the personal calling can be heard around your phone while they’re leaving a message.
The issue was first reported in September 2025, and the user was using a Pixel 5. Another user, who was using a Pixel 10, corroborated the problem in mid-November. Another user, who was using a Pixel 4a, reported facing a similar problem. However, they note that turning off Take a Message resolved the problem.
Google is investigating the reports
Two more reports from Pixel 4a owners surfaced this week . The latest one notes how the microphone privacy indicator was triggered as the phone stopped ringing and the feature was activated. The user notes that they tested it out with two separate callers after this happened naturally. They intentionally didn’t pick up the phone, but once it stopped ringing, the green microphone icon showed up in the upper right corner of the screen. They note that the caller was able to hear them, and they were able to hear the caller.
Interestingly, the message (from Leave a Message) that was saved only has their half of the audio. This doesn’t seem to be a widespread bug, but it is something that raises privacy concerns. Reportedly, there’s been only a single report from a device that’s still getting OS updates currently. The common element here seems to be old phones that are no longer receiving updates.
Google is reportedly aware of the issue and said that it is looking into it and investigating these reports. “ Our team is aware of these reports and is actively investigating ,” said a Google spokesperson. In the meantime, if you’re facing this issue, you can disable the Take a Message feature. Tap the hamburger icon in the top-left corner of the Phone app and select Settings. Here, tap “Take a Message” at the bottom of the Call Assist grouping and disable it.
