Latest news with #GoogleContacts
Android Authority
11-07-2025
- Android Authority
Google Contacts just got two upgrades that'll help you clean up your address book
Harley Maranan / Android Authority TL;DR Google Contacts has recently started rolling out a couple changes we spotted in development earlier this year. Contact pages are picking up a new 'Recent activity' list, displaying message and call history. The app's settings add a new toggle to control whether or not you see view-only contacts from other apps. Our phones are full of apps we don't spend nearly enough time paying attention to, yet are critical for everything we do with them on a day-to-day basis. We would absolutely include Google Contacts on that list, as while it's incredibly easy to overlook its functionality, it helps empower us to communicate and share our favorite content with the people who matter to us most. Over the past few months we've identified some worthwhile-looking upgrades in development that should only further enhance the Contacts experience, and couple of them are rolling out now. Let's start with the first we spotted, as we found evidence back at the end of April pointing to work on a new 'Recent activity' section for your contacts. While we knew about the app's ability to report on recent activity through its widgets, it looked like Contacts was working to add a similar report to individual contact pages within the app itself. And this week, we're now seeing exactly that change become widely available. Stephen Schenck / Android Authority While we could already access a lot of this history in individual apps directly, having a central repository in Contacts makes a lot of sense. More recently, just last month, we shared with you that Contacts was working on a handy solution for managing increasingly messy lists of contacts, thanks to a new setting that would let you control how view-only contacts from other apps were displayed. These contacts are created with information that comes from other apps, and like the clearly implies, you can't edit these directly in Contacts. While we normally prefer to have them hidden away, we can imagine edge cases where we're trying to resolve contact details between entries in Contacts itself and these external ones, where being able to see them all in once place could really help. Just like recent activity, we're also now seeing this change present in Contacts, showing up at the bottom of the app's settings. IF you're still waiting for it, make sure your Contacts app is up to date in the Play Store. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
12-06-2025
- Android Authority
Google Contacts could soon let you control clutter from third-party apps (APK teardown)
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority TL;DR Google Contacts could soon allow users to show or hide read-only contacts synced from connected apps. The new feature aims to help users troubleshoot issues like duplicated contacts by revealing otherwise hidden view-only entries. Most users likely won't need this enabled, but the switch offers better visibility for those who occasionally need it. Google Contacts is in the limelight for the new Pixel VIPs widget, but Google has other features in the pipeline. Google Contacts v4.57.27 includes code for showing and hiding read-only contacts that are provisioned through connected apps. We managed to enable the feature early to give you an early look. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. As Google mentions in the popup dialog for the settings we managed to activate: You may have view-only contacts from other apps that aren't shown by default. You can show them to help you troubleshoot issues like duplicates. The first two screenshots show the upcoming option, while the last screenshot shows you what a view-only contact from a connected app looks like. For the most part, users are best served by hiding view-only contacts from other apps, giving them a cleaner Google Contacts experience. Most apps that provide such view-only contacts often have their own discovery mechanisms, like WhatsApp and Telegram, which provide a list of your contacts present on the service. Displaying that information again in Contacts provides very little value, but it may be useful for troubleshooting, which is what this change is intended for. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
How to setup VIP contacts on Pixel phones to never miss important updates from loved ones
Google released new features in the June Pixel drop, and the Pixel VIP contacts feature is one of them. It lets you mark a few contacts as VIP and find all the information you need about those contacts on one simple page. If you own a Pixel smartphone, here is a quick setup guide to set up VIP contacts on your device. Pixel VIP contacts is an advanced contact management feature integrated with the Google Contacts app. It allows you to add up to 8 contacts as VIPs to receive special treatment on your Pixel smartphone. These contacts can bypass the DND mode, so any notifications related to these contacts will appear and ring your phone. These contacts sit on your phone's home screen as a widget, and tapping on them will provide you with rich details. It includes recent communication, location, and personalised notes. This feature is designed to keep your important contacts at your fingertips, making communication with them effortless and meaningful. This feature only works on the Pixel 6 or newer devices. Also, make sure that the smartphone is updated to the latest Android 16 version. This is how you can set up VIP contacts on your Pixel smartphone and keep important contacts at your fingertips.
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Business Standard
11-06-2025
- Business Standard
Google releases Android 16 for Pixels: What is new, how-to update, and more
Google has begun rolling out the Android 16 update to eligible Pixel smartphones. First previewed last month at the inaugural Android Show: I/O Edition, the update introduces several new features including Live Updates, the Pixel VIPs widget, deeper Gemini integration, and more. According to Google, Android 16 sets the stage for the broader adoption of its new Material 3 Expressive design language. However, most of the visual changes tied to this new design approach are not yet live in this release. Android 16 on Pixels: What's new According to Google's release notes, Android 16 introduces the following features for eligible Pixel devices: Pixel VIPs widget: A new feature integrated into the Google Contacts app that helps users stay connected with their most important contacts. Pixel VIPs functions like an enhanced favourites hub, offering VIP badges, Do Not Disturb bypass, birthday reminders, shared activities, location sharing, and more. Live Updates: A new interactive notification banner that provides real-time progress updates from supported apps such as food delivery and ride-hailing services. Deeper Gemini Live integration: Gemini AI can now draw context from apps like Google Maps, Calendar, Tasks, and Keep to offer more personalised and useful responses during live conversations. AI stickers: Users can now create custom AI-generated stickers directly within Gboard using text prompts or photos. This feature is currently available in select regions and supports English, Japanese, and German. AI Mode on Home Screen: A new AI Mode in Google Search is now accessible from the Pixel Home Screen, though it remains limited to certain regions for now. Enhanced hearing aid support: Android 16 brings improved support for hearing aids, including native controls like volume adjustment and LE Audio compatibility. Other updates: Android 16 also includes support for HDR screenshots, refined haptics and back animations, improvements to button navigation, and security enhancements through Google's Advanced Protection programme. Android 16 on Pixels: What is next Google confirmed that the broader rollout of Material 3 Expressive—the new Android design language—is coming later this year. Material 3 Expressive builds on Material You and places greater focus on colour, shape, motion, and responsive UI elements. It features spring-like animations, dynamic colour themes, improved typography, and a more personalised user experience. While the full suite of changes isn't yet live system-wide, early visual updates have already appeared in select Google apps like Messages and Photos. A more comprehensive rollout is expected to follow the launch of the 2025 Pixel line-up. How to install Android 16 on Pixels Go to the Settings app on your eligible Pixel device and select the System menu. Within the System menu, scroll down and select Software updates. Select the System update option and tap on Check for update at the bottom right of the screen. If the Android 16 update is available, tap on the Download and Install option and follow the instructions. Your Pixel may restart automatically to install the update. Eligible Google Pixel devices for Android 16 Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, 9a Pixel 8, 8 Pro, 8a Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a Pixel Tablet Pixel Fold
Android Authority
10-06-2025
- Android Authority
Pixel VIPs widget is here to help you stay connected to your most important people
TL;DR Google has officially launched the Pixel VIPs widget for devices from Pixel 6 onward via the June Pixel Feature Drop. The home screen widget displays key updates like last calls, WhatsApp messages, locations, and birthdays for up to eight chosen contacts. VIP contacts can also bypass Do Not Disturb settings. Google has been working on a new Pixel VIPs widget for the Google Contacts app for a while now. Last month, we got a good idea about how Pixel VIPs would work, and earlier this week, the Pixel VIPs app also appeared on the Play Store for some users. Finally, with the June Pixel Feature Drop, Pixel devices are now getting the Pixel VIPs feature. The new Pixel VIPs widget from the Contacts app is a 4×1 home screen widget that helps you stay connected to the most important people in your life (up to eight of them). Google suggests adding as much information as possible to their contact cards within the Contacts app, with details like birthdays, emails, home addresses, and even preferences with notes. While the press release doesn't specify what this will do, we know from our earlier coverage that this will give us a populated Google Contacts profile for those contacts, serving as a central store of various information about that person. Details like their address will help populate local weather and time information. The widget surfaces key information from these VIPs, such as their last call and messages, including from WhatsApp, as we had spotted before. It also surfaces their location when shared and receives updates for important events like birthdays and anniversaries. Further, VIPs can also bypass Do Not Disturb settings. The Pixel VIPs widget is available for Pixel 6 and newer devices with the June 2025 Pixel Feature Drop, so check for a pending software update. The feature's fine print notes that it supports Google Messages and WhatsApp services only. For the best experience, ensure that you are on the latest version of Google Contacts, Google Messages, and WhatsApp. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
