Google has launched Calling Cards, a new feature for its Phone app that lets users personalise the way calls appear on their screens.
This will allow Android users to replace small contact photos with full-screen images, styled text, and custom backgrounds.
The feature shows Apple’s Contact Posters, which launched for iPhone users in 2023, but Google has tailored its version to fit into Android’s Material 3 Expressive design update.
With Calling Cards, users can choose photos from their gallery, camera, or Google Photos, and then pair them with different fonts and colour options for displaying names.
Unlike Apple’s system, Google’s approach is device-specific. That means you can design Calling Cards for yourself and for your contacts, but they will only appear on your own device. Your contacts will not be able to edit how they show up on your phone.
The feature first appeared in beta testing earlier this month but is now being released publicly with version v188 of the Google Phone app. Google confirmed it is a phased rollout, available worldwide.
Users should expect to see a banner inside the app introducing the option, or they can find it directly in the Contacts menu.
In addition to Calling Cards, Google has launched another tool called Take a Message. This lets the Phone app automatically answer missed calls, record a voicemail, and create a transcript. Users can either write a custom greeting or select from Google’s preset options. All messages, according to the company, are “stored privately on your device.”
The voicemail transcription feature is available on Pixel 4 and newer models, as well as on the Pixel Watch 2 when paired with a Pixel 6 or newer handset.
With Calling Cards and the Take a Message update, Google is aiming to make the everyday phone experience more personal and less mechanical, whether through customised visuals or smarter voicemail handling.
