Google Messages might get a nice personalization upgrade with custom contact images

Google has a knack for slipping handy little upgrades into its Messages app, each one adding to the user experience in a big way. Earlier this year, the company started expanding the Profile Discovery feature, first previewed back in November, which brought in updated contact photos. Just last week, Google polished this feature even more, giving users more control over how they appear online. Now, rumor has it that Google is cooking up a new feature aimed at making contact customization even simpler.

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Google Messages doesn’t let you set custom profile pics for contacts at the moment, sticking strictly to Google account photos for anyone added by phone number. But recent findings by the folks at Android Authority hint that this could be changing. A deep dive into the latest Messages beta (version messages.android_20241018_01_RC00.phone_samsung_openbeta_dynamic) shows clues that users might soon have the freedom to switch between Google account pics and their own locally saved images for contacts.

To try out this feature once it’s publicly released, just tap a contact’s profile picture and swipe to flip between their Google account photo and any custom image you’ve got saved. If you want to add a new picture, hit “Manage in the Contacts app.” LinkofHyrule89 on X (formerly Twitter) shared a snapshot of the feature in action with Android Authority (see image below).

A more personalized messaging experience

This new feature finally adds some much-needed flair to one of the best messaging apps on Android, making it a bit more user-friendly. It’s a game changer for those contacts who haven’t bothered to set a Google account photo, giving you the chance to slap on a profile picture of your choice.

The latest change comes hot on the heels of Google’s plans to roll out privacy settings for the Profile Discovery feature. With this enhancement, users will have more say over who gets to see their name and profile picture. Right now, the Profile Discovery feature lets you pick between your full name or a shorter version and decide if you want to show your profile picture. Even though this feature was announced almost a year ago, we’re still waiting for it to be fully launched.