Android Gets a Personal Touch: Google Brings iPhone-Style Call Screens to Pixel and Beyond
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MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – November 8, 2023 – Android users are gaining a new level of personalization with the rollout of “Call cards,” a feature that allows for fully customized incoming call screens. the update, announced by Google today, brings Android in line with a popular feature previously exclusive to iPhones, offering a more visually engaging and personalized calling experience.
Instead of the standard small contact photo, call Cards utilize full-screen visuals and stylized names when a call comes in. This provides a more prominent and expressive caller ID, similar to apple’s “Poster” feature on iOS. Importantly, Google emphasizes that these customized cards are only visible to the receiver of the call, preserving privacy for both parties.
How Will Call Cards Work?
The Call Cards feature is being implemented with version V188 of the Google Phone app, as part of Android’s broader Material 3 expressive design language. The rollout is gradual, meaning it will take time for the update to reach all compatible devices.
Users will be prompted with a notification on the main tab of the Phone app reading, “Meet the search card: Customize how to see when a person calls you.” This notification will guide users through the customization process.
Within the app, users can select images from their photo gallery, and then personalize the Call Card with a variety of fonts and color schemes, allowing for a truly unique visual representation for each contact.
New Voicemail Feature for Pixel Users
Alongside Call Cards, Google is also introducing an enhanced voicemail experience. A new ”Leave a message” feature allows callers to leave a voicemail even if the call goes unanswered. This feature is currently limited to Pixel 4 and later models. Google has prioritized privacy with this update, confirming that all voicemails are stored directly on the device.
