Google Messages Reverses Annoying Update, Simplifies Contact Organization Forever More

Google Revives Names and Profile Pictures for Contacts in Messages

After switching to a social media-style profile system in 2024, Google has announced that users of its Messages app can once again set names and photos for their contacts. This change comes after profile sharing, which replaced names and contact images with information from contacts’ Google accounts, was rolled out to Messages users from March 2024.

What’s Changed?

The "customize how you are seen" page in Messages, which was introduced after profile sharing, has been reversed. This means that users can now set their own names and photos for their contacts, rather than relying on information from their contacts’ Google accounts. However, profile sharing is still available, allowing users to opt for their contacts’ preferred information.

How to Customize Your Contacts

Customizing a contact’s information is straightforward. Simply tap the name or photo of a contact within the chat, and a page containing the user’s details will open. From there, you can manually update the information.

The Competition

The addition of profile sharing was part of Google’s efforts to present a functionally similar rival to Apple’s iMessage. Apple has recently adopted RCS, a standard that allows for easy media sharing and group chats similar to iMessage. Google has long championed RCS as a forward-thinking and collaborative standard, and has publicly celebrated Apple’s decision to implement it on iPhone.

New Features in Messages

In addition to reviving names and profile pictures, Google has also introduced new features to its default messaging app to protect users from scammers and spammers. These features include warnings about dangerous links, blur filters for unsavory images, and better contact verification.

The Future of Messaging

It’s clear that Google is keen to make Messages the texting app of choice for Android users. By allowing users to set their own names and photos for their contacts, Google is making its app more personalized and user-friendly. As the competition between messaging apps continues to heat up, it will be interesting to see how Google continues to evolve its messaging app to stay ahead of the game.

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