Google Is Rolling Out an iPhone-Like ‘Calling Card’ Feature

Apple gets some flack from the tech community for stealing features from Android, but the truth is, the theft goes both ways. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, after all. The latest such example is a new feature hitting Google’s Contacts app: a full-screen “calling card,” reminiscent of Apple’s “Contact Posters.”

The idea of both features is simple: Rather than see the traditional image you might set for a particular contact when they call you, calling card (and Contact Poster, for that matter) is a dynamic, full-screen graphic for each caller. It takes advantage of the large edge-to-edge displays that have become standard over the years, displaying a large image with bold, engaging text.

Visually, these calling cards and Contact Posters are quite similar to one another, perhaps with some Apple or Google-specific flair. However, there’s really only one key difference between each feature: With Apple’s Contact Poster, you make your own contact image, while for calling cards, you make everyone else’s images. Essentially, Apple and Google have polar opposite philosophies for the feature: Apple believes each user should control how their Contact Poster should appear on everyone else’s iPhone, while Google believes users should decide how their friends and family’s calling cards should appear on their own phone.

That creates an interesting divide: Apple won’t let you make a Contact Poster for other users, while Google won’t let you create your own calling card. I suppose Google’s is more in line with how we’ve traditionally handled contact photos, with each user setting the images they’d like the see for each of their contacts.

How to set a calling card on Android

Android Authority was the first to spot the feature in the latest version (4.61.28.792249534) of the Google Contacts app, as well as the latest beta version (188.0.793710089-publicbeta-pixel2024) of the Google Phone app. While Google appears to be rolling this out slowly, it’s possible the feature might be live on your end. If you want to give it a shot, make sure to update the Google Contacts app to the latest version on your Android device.