Foldable Phone Owners Report Outgoing Call Failures Through Android Auto
Owners of foldable phones report that outgoing calls placed through Android Auto fail when the device is closed, with several users linking the problem to Gemini. Google and Motorola are looking into the reports.
Posts on Reddit and on Google and Motorola forums describe the failure across several foldable models, according to Engadget, which cited Android Authority as first reporting the issue. Users say that when the phone is closed and they instruct it to call someone, the call does not connect. One Reddit poster said the device returns a message telling them to "flip open to continue." Incoming calls, by contrast, appear to arrive normally.
Several posters trace the trouble to Gemini. In a Reddit post from about three months ago, one user said they switched back from Gemini to Google Assistant and could then place outgoing calls with the foldable closed. That workaround has since narrowed: Google began pulling Google Assistant from phones, tablets and other devices on September 4, 2026, although the change applies only to phones that meet the minimum requirements to run the AI service.
Most of the reports so far mention the Motorola Razr Ultra, specifically the 60 and 70 models, running Android 16. A post from April described the same calling problem on a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and noted that calls had worked until the poster started using Gemini. Android 16 began rolling out in June 2025 with features including live notification updates, camera improvements and scam detection.
Neither Google nor Motorola has confirmed what is causing the bug or released a fix. Representatives from both companies appear to be investigating, with replies in the forum threads showing staff collecting information about the incidents.
No official workaround has been issued. Users who have described the steps they took to resolve the problem say the only dependable option is to make calls with the phone open.
The reports come as Gemini spreads further across Google's ecosystem as part of a broader push to place AI tools in everyday use. In the same forum threads, some users say they are turning to apps and products that do not rely on AI, or that at least offer a way to switch it off.