ISLAMABAD: Google Pixel phones have a feature that unintentionally transmits background sounds to the other party during phone conversations.
A rare bug exists in Google Pixel phones that enables background sounds to be shared with callers, thus creating privacy issues.
The problem exists because Pixel phones use their “Take a Message” feature to manage incoming calls which results in automatic message recording by the system while showing the caller’s message transcription to users.
The feature recorded surrounding sounds instead of capturing the caller’s voice in six different situations, according to reports. Callers perceived that their calls had been answered because they could hear sounds from the phone’s environment.
Social media users first discovered the problem when they posted about it on Reddit in September 2025. Users from different Pixel 5, Pixel 10 and Pixel 4a devices reported similar issues that users from the first platform had encountered. The majority of impacted devices belong to an earlier generation, which no longer receives standard software maintenance.
Experts recommend feature deactivation as the only immediate solution. Users can disable this function through the Pixel Phone application by accessing the Menu then selecting Call Assist and choosing “Take a Message” to deactivate the function.
According to a Google representative, the company currently investigates all reported problems while sustaining its active investigation process.
The United States and United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia markets permit users to access the “Take a Message” feature on Pixel 4 and all subsequent smartphone models. The system includes protection against unwanted spam telephone calls.
Google urges users to update Chrome browser immediately
Google has strongly recommended that users of its Chrome web browser to update it immediately after the release of a critical security update.
The fix is going to make the browser safe by patching vulnerabilities that were discovered in the browser recently. These vulnerabilities were the ones that the hackers were going to use against the users’ systems if the browser was not updated.
Saying that, Google the tech giant, declared that many weaknesses were located during the analysis of the latest Chrome builds and this new patch was out to take care of them. However, the company has done so without disclosing any specific information concerning the security matters.
Nevertheless, the company has made it clear that some of the weaknesses are major and if they are not patched up, they will certainly jeopardize both the privacy and security of the users online.
It is Google Chrome that has the largest share in web browser usage worldwide; its being the most widely used web browser in the world, and the massive user community can lead to quick security problems in Chrome becoming an issue of great significance if not addressed in time.
In most cases, Chrome gets updated without any user intervention. To do a manual check, just click on the three-dot menu, navigate to Settings and click on About Chrome. The update being found will result in an automatic download, and the updating of the browser will then occur via a restart.
