In a move that mirrors features recently introduced in the iPhone, the Google Phone and Contacts apps are rolling out customizable “calling cards” for select beta users. This innovative feature allows users to personalize their calling experience by using a full-screen image as the background during calls, rather than just displaying a profile picture in the center of the screen.
While a similar customization option was launched for the iPhone in iOS 17 (2023), Google’s implementation of calling cards appears to be an evolution of profile pictures, rather than a feature that is visible to everyone. Unlike the iPhone's approach, where the customization is more public, Google allows users to set what image is visible to others through Google Messages. This suggests that calling cards may have the potential to be integrated into the messaging app in the future.
Once this feature becomes available, users can access their calling cards by opening a contact page. A prompt will appear, encouraging them to “Try adding a calling card: Customize how contact name appears during calls.” The internal codename for this feature is “patrick” within the Google Phone app. This new “calling card” feature will coexist with the traditional circular profile pictures that users are familiar with.
Users will be able to choose an image from their Camera, Gallery, or Google Photos, and adjust its position within the calling card. The customization editor also allows users to select a font and color for the contact name displayed at the top of the Incoming Call screen. A variety of colors are available for selection, including:
Autumn Orange Black Blush Pink Dark Green Dark Purple Gentle Blue Greenish Yellow Lavender Navy Raspberry Pink Vivid Cyan Smart Color And many more...The introduction of calling cards is expected to complement the upcoming Horizontal swipe or Single tap gesture for answering calls, enhancing the overall user experience. Currently, calling cards are not widely available, but some users have started to see them following the release of the Phone by Google 188 beta version. Meanwhile, the Contacts version 4.61 has already rolled out widely with the Material 3 Expressive design.
In related news, the much-anticipated “Call Message” feature has been rebranded as “Take a Message” in the latest beta, signaling ongoing improvements to the Google Phone app.
Stay tuned for more updates as Google continues to enhance the functionality of its Phone app and improve user experience through innovative features like calling cards.
