Other than the occasional new feature, Google Contacts isn’t an app known for frequent updates. However, there’s probably one update on the way that will add some nifty new home screen widgets and a new user interface.
TheSPAndroid’s @AssembleDebug was able to identify these changes by flipping some developer flags in version 4.26 of the app. These features are currently in the testing phase and there is no timeline available for deployment, but we can uncover what turns out to be hidden within the code.
The first noticeable change is the redesign of the main Contacts screen. The familiar phone, email, and office icons are now hidden behind a three-dot menu. This change makes room for a new “+” icon in the search bar, allowing users to easily add contacts on the go.
Image credit: TheSPAndroid
Additionally, interacting with contact details like email and labels now opens a convenient bottom sheet of options instead of the traditional sidebar accessed through the hamburger menu. This new approach provides a cleaner and more intuitive way to navigate your contacts. But perhaps the most notable change is the addition of a widget that allows users to see text conversations from selected contacts directly on their home screen. Once this feature is deployed to devices, you will need to grant the Contacts app the necessary permissions to fully view your messages. This is so you can easily access your messages.
Image credit: TheSPAndroid
As with many Google updates, especially those that are still being tested and have not yet been announced, the release schedule is very TBA. Such updates are usually reserved for Pixel feature drops. If all goes well and no major bugs are found during testing, this rollout could happen around April, but that’s just a good old guess on our part.
