Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Late last year, Google rolled out “profile sharing” in Messages. This well-meaning feature was supposed to make things easier for everyone by automatically using people’s Google Account pictures in the app instead of using the contact photo you may have chosen for that contact prior. Instead, for some users at least, it just made things a tad bit annoying. Instead of seeing the funny or thoughtful picture you set for your best friend, you were stuck with their less-personal, official Google image.
Google is rectifying this change and has introduced a new option to allow users to switch back to the image you originally set in your contacts. To do this, open a conversation with the contact, tap their name or picture at the top, and then tap the small circular image again. You’ll see a new interface that lets you choose between their Google profile picture and your preferred contact photo.
As you can see, I have Joe’s contact photo set to a much funnier option, and I like the ability to keep it that way! It’s a small but significant change that gives users back the freedom to personalize their messaging experience. Google seems to have quietly added this option in the past month, and it’s been spotted in both the beta and stable versions of Google Messages. So, if you’re ready to take back control of your contact photos, go update your app and swap to your heart’s content.
VIA: 9to5 Google
SUBSCRIBE TO UPSTREAM
Get Chrome Unboxed delivered straight to your inbox
Upstream is our flagship, curated newsletter with the top stories, most click-worthy deals, giveaways, and trending articles from Chrome Unboxed sent directly to your inbox a few times a week. Join 31,000+ subscribers.
