Google Forced to Disable Call Screen on Pixel 4 and 5 Due to Bug

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📝 Key Points of This Article

• Google has reported a bug in the “Call Screen” and “Direct My Call” features of the Google Phone app, occurring under extremely limited and rare circumstances on certain Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, and Pixel 5 devices.
• They announced a mandatory disabling of “Call Screen” and “Direct My Call” as a result.
• The announcement is incredibly brief regarding the bug report, the temporary fix, and future steps, making it feel quite insincere.

On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Google reported a bug affecting the “Call Screen” and “Direct My Call” features of the Google Phone app, which occurs under very specific and rare conditions on some Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, and Pixel 5 units. Along with this report, they announced a mandatory measure to disable these features.

While Google has not disclosed the specific details of the issue, there have been recent reports of a bug where the receiver’s voice can be heard by the caller even during “Call Screen” or “Direct My Call” sessions. It is suspected that this measure is a response to that issue. Regardless of the specifics, “Call Screen” and “Direct My Call” will be forcibly disabled on the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, and Pixel 5.

It is expected that “Call Screen” and “Direct My Call” will become available again once the cause of the bug is identified and a fix is implemented; however, Google has not clarified this timeline. The announcement is far too brief concerning the bug report, the temporary measures, and the roadmap for a resolution, making it a highly insincere disclosure.

Source：Google