Google is bringing a long-awaited dialer update to Android

Google is Finally Letting You Make WhatsApp and Telegram Calls Directly From Your Phone Dialer

We’ve all been there: you get a missed call on WhatsApp, but when you go to your phone’s recent calls list to hit them back, there is nothing there. You have to unlock your phone, find the specific app, dig through your chats, and finally hit dial. It is a small friction point, but in 2024, it feels like an unnecessary hurdle. Thankfully, Google is working on a fix that has been a long time coming.

Recent discoveries in the latest Android Canary builds suggest that Google is ready to bridge the gap between third-party VoIP apps and your native dialer. The feature, tucked away under a new Calling accounts section in the Phone by Google app, was recently spotted running on a Pixel 9. It essentially allows apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal to play nice with your system-level call history.

How It Works

This isn’t just a cosmetic change. By utilizing Android’s underlying telecom framework, third-party apps can now register their calls directly within the native phone app. This means your WhatsApp or Messenger calls will appear right alongside your traditional cellular calls. No more jumping between three different apps just to see who you talked to this morning.

The biggest win here is the convenience of the “one-tap” redial. If this rollout follows the pattern seen in the latest builds, you will be able to dial a contact back on their preferred VoIP service straight from your main dialer. It effectively turns your native phone app into a centralized communication hub, rather than just a tool for old-school carrier calls.

When Can You Get It?

While the feature is currently being put through its paces in the Canary 2605 build, it looks like it is being groomed for a wider release. Current technical requirements suggest this seamless integration will be a core part of the experience for devices running Android 16.1 and up.

It is a massive quality-of-life update that brings Android’s call management into the modern era, making the transition between data-based calls and cellular calls feel completely invisible. If you’re someone who lives in their messaging apps but hates the disjointed experience of managing them, your phone is about to get a whole lot smarter.