The Google Phone app is rolling out a new feature that lets users create fullscreen “calling cards” for their contacts — giving incoming calls a whole new look. This update brings a more visual identity to calls and closely mirrors a similar feature Apple introduced on iPhones back in 2023.
Google Phone calling cards are now appearing in beta
If you are on the latest Google Phone beta, version 188, you might already see the option to add a calling card when editing a contact. Google’s own prompt explains the feature like this: “Customize how [contact name] appears during calls.”
Instead of the standard circle profile image, the feature adds a fullscreen background that appears on the Incoming Call screen. This does not appear to be visible to the contact themselves — it is just how you see them during a call.
Calling cards are codenamed “patrick” internally and work as a visual extension of the profile image. You can add a photo from your Camera, Gallery, or Google Photos, crop and position it, and then select name font and color.
Things are not going well for Pixel 6a, which Google introduced in 2022. Because one user said that the phone melted while charging at night.
Calling cards come with a splash of color
Google has added an entire palette for customizing the name text. Options include:
- Autumn Orange
- Vivid Cyan
- Seafoam Green
- Lavender
- Dark Green
- Reddish Orange
- Raspberry Pink
- Royal Blue
- Blush Pink
- Smart Color (adaptive based on background)
This makes calling cards more expressive without forcing users into a single design aesthetic. It also fits neatly with Google’s push for expressive Material You elements across Android.
The Contacts app is also getting calling card support
This new visual style ties into the Contacts app as well. Version 4.61 introduces Material 3 Expressive, and that update appears to support calling card previews when you view a saved contact.
The goal is a more connected design across apps like Contacts, Phone, and Messages. While Google Messages already lets you choose a profile photo others will see, calling cards on Phone seem to remain local-only — at least for now.
Google Phone updates are stacking up
Beyond calling cards, the Phone app is adding other changes in this beta. The “Call Message” feature, previously spotted in testing, has now been renamed “Take a Message.”
Google is also rolling out gesture options like horizontal swipe or single tap for answering calls — an effort to make call interactions smoother, especially on foldables and larger screens.
Google Phone might soon change how every call looks
For now, calling cards are still limited to the beta channel, but a full rollout seems inevitable. Android users have long wanted more control over how calls look and feel, and this is Google’s boldest move in that direction so far.
Your contact list might stay the same, but your call screen is about to get a whole lot more personal.
