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Quick phrases have been part of Google Assistant for some time now. For those not familiar, Quick phrases are a way to respond and send commands to the Assistant without invoking the “Hey, Google” wake phrase. These commands became extremely helpful when it came to Assistant speakers, like being able to simply say “Stop” to stop a timer on a Google Nest Hub.
In late 2021, with the rollout of the next-gen Google Assistant, Google expanded Quick phrases to the Pixel 6. For example, the phrases available on the phone could “Stop” or “Snooze” alarms and timers, as well as “Answer” or “Decline” calls. However, it looks like this feature’s helpfulness will not end there.
According to an APK teardown done by the team at 9to5Google, support for the quick phrase “Silence” was spotted in version 13.34 of the Google app. This should silence the ringing but leave the call unanswered, giving you time to decide. It’s definitely easier than pressing the volume rocker, especially if your phone is not at arm’s reach.
The new phrase is not yet active but could hopefully debut with the Pixel 7 next month. Armed with the next-gen Tensor chip, I don’t see why Google wouldn’t add this to the phone at launch or even during one of the Pixel Feature Drops. Regardless, I hope this also makes it to the Pixel 6 and 6a, as they are both very capable devices that can already handle the existing quick phrases.
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