Google Tests Customizable Calling Cards in Android Beta for Incoming Calls

Google is testing customizable calling cards for Android that show up when your friends call

Google has begun rolling out a new feature for the beta versions of its Android Contacts and Phone apps: customizable calling cards. This exciting development was first hinted at in July when Android Authority found clues during an APK teardown. Now, if you’re using the beta apps, you can get a firsthand look.

What’s interesting is how Google’s implementation differs significantly from Apple’s Contact Posters on iOS. With Apple, you set your own photo and name that you want to appear on *other people’s* phones when *you* call them. You can’t change how *other people’s* calls appear on *your* device. Google has taken the opposite approach. You can’t create a calling card for yourself that others will see. Instead, this feature allows *you* to set a specific photo and name for *your contacts* that will display prominently on *your screen* when *they* call you.

To try it out, you’ll need access to the beta Android Contacts app. When you open a contact’s details, you’ll now see a note prompting you to “Try adding a calling card.” From there, you can select an existing photo of that contact from your gallery, or even take a new one with your camera. You also have the option to adjust the font type and color for their name. When that contact calls, their personalized calling card will take over your entire phone screen.

If this feature sounds familiar, you’re not wrong. Samsung has offered a similar “profile card” function for quite some time, which operates much like Google’s new system. This feature is already broadly available and accessible through your contacts’ profile pages on Samsung devices.