Google thinks sound effects in the Phone app are a good use of dev time

Google is working on a new function called Audiomojis that will let you add sound effects to your phone calls. The attention to this new feature has done nothing but prove Google’s misplaced priorities. With users already facing numerous product frustrations, it seems counterproductive to focus on a feature that lacks a practical application. Instead of creating useless gimmicks, why doesn’t Google focus its resources on making Android better?

Aural absurdity

Need to gasp? There’s an app for that!

We recently reported on Audiomojis, Google’s upcoming phone call sound effects feature. With it, you can insert six sound effects into your phone call, complete with animations. Some of these effects include applause and sad (which I assume is a gentle sobbing sound). These effects could have been useful to use against telemarketers and scammers, but there’s a much more robust feature baked into Pixel phones for that. It’s called Call Screen and works like a charm, answering unwanted calls.

Aside from the sound, a related animation will pop up on your screen when Audiomoji is used, according to reports, adding another performative layer to the feature, which is exactly what you want when you’re on a phone call with your elderly aunt.

Unresolved issues

Google has a lot of other things to fix first

The Play Store is a dumpster fire filled with clones. Its algorithm barely works and, reviews are spammed by AI. Meanwhile, Android updates continue to be inconsistent across OEMs, and some devices will never receive core OS updates.

Then there’s Chrome, which is missing many features you can find on other browsers. For example, the ability to move the search bar to the bottom of the screen seems insignificant, but most other browsers allow this. Not Chrome. A reader-friendly mode is another option included with every other browser. Chrome doesn’t have it, although Google recently rolled out a convoluted reader view toggle in a separate app that juts out from the side of your screen if you want to use it.

Google TV is neglected. The menu is laggy and slow, and there’s a real lack of customization that walls you into ad-filled spaces. The laundry list of things Google could be improving is long.

Pixel phones are great, but they are plagued with problems such as overheating, modem issues, and overall inconsistencies with the Tensor chip series. Then there is Google Gemini, which recently stirred up a storm of controversy when the AI refused to generate images of an entire group of people in historical settings, forcing the company to suspend image generation of all people.

And yet Google has decided the best way forward is Audiomojis.

As impractical as they sound

Who wants to fumble with their phone mid-conversation?

Let’s imagine you’re on a call, and you suddenly realize it’s the perfect spot in the conversation to insert a drumroll sound. Though the sound might add a little levity to the conversation, the mechanics might prove a little cumbersome to maneuver before the moment has passed.

Much like pulling up your dialer mid-call, you’d have to pull the phone away from your ear, fumble around the Audiomoji app/function for the right menu, find the appropriate sound and accompanying emoji, and then select it. While the exact mechanics remain to be seen, if we were to hazard a guess, it will probably be a lot of trouble for little reward.

Limited resources

Google should focus its resources

Google has a lot of money, but it has finite time and engineers. Instead of tying up resources in a gimmick to excite the executive suite, the company should focus on making Android amazing. A whimsy here or there is fine, but Google is held to a higher standard, and it just isn’t delivering.

For starters, Google needs to tackle the issues with the Play Store and Chrome. The Play Store, in particular, needs to be revamped and its UX completely reworked. Chrome on Android should also be a priority focus for Google. At least give it parity with Chrome on iOS, which is a slick browser filled with useful functionality. Chrome’s pull-down to refresh or open new tabs on iOS is fantastic and needs to be implemented on Android.

Google also needs to implement stricter quality controls over the Pixel line. There’s no reason the phones should have so many issues with modems and overheating and crashes, things other flagships sorted out years ago.

Google could fix these things and focus on delighting its customers instead of spending time and engineering resources developing gimmicks.

Let’s hope Google listens.

Fix your existing products first please

Audioemojis underscore a worrying trend at Google, where flashy gimmicks are prioritized over important foundational fixes. Chrome on Android needs parity with other browsers, the Play Store needs a complete overhaul, and Gemini AI could use some serious tweaking. Google needs to devote resources to making great technology again rather than impracticalities like Audiomojis.