Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Messages is poised to allow users to assign a profile picture to their contacts again.
- Following the introduction of Profile Discovery in Messages, the characteristic now overrides any locally set contact photos in favour of a contact’s Google account picture.
Google has recently introduced the Profile Discovery feature, enabling users to see profiles of people who have added them via their phone number, complete with name and profile picture. Regrettably, a specific trait mandates that everyone views your Google account profile picture within the messaging app, rather than their preferred personal image. It seems likely that Google will address this challenge in the near future.
An APK teardown Helpfully predicts upcoming feature and bug fix options likely to emerge from ongoing code development. Despite these predictions, there’s a possibility that the proposed features may never see the light of day in a public release.
In a recent investigation of the Google Messages app, we discovered that users may be able to choose between displaying a contact’s Google account profile picture or a customized image within the model messages.android_20241018_01_RC00.phone_samsung_openbeta_dynamic.
With the activation of this feature now possible, you’ll simply tap on a contact’s profile picture and then swipe horizontally to switch seamlessly between their Google account avatar and a locally stored image.
For the latter picture, you can modify it by tapping “Handle” within the Contacts app. Below are the screenshots for reference, courtesy of X.
We’re pleased that Google is rectifying this limitation by providing users with additional, highly customizable options. If a contact lacks a Google account picture from the start, this feature proves especially useful, allowing you to furnish an image through the Messages app.
Google plans to address a major limitation of its Profile Discovery feature in Messages. We recently discovered evidence suggesting that the app may offer insight into who can view your identity and videos from the very beginning.
