Google Messages might get a Profiles feature; Users will be able to add names and picture

Google Messages could soon add a new feature allowing users to set up a screen name and add a photo to their profiles. This will allow more customizability to users, something Google has been aiming for lately.

Google Messages gets a new feature. Know what the new Profiles will let you do. (Google)

Google Messages has been receiving regular updates of late, and some of them are game-changing. Last month, a new feature was reported that would block access to any third-party app's screen sharing, so nobody else can see your messages. This time around, the Rich Communication Services (RCS)-powered messaging platform is bringing a quality-of-life upgrade, that will give users more customization and control over how they are viewed when they send a message. Google Messages is finally getting Profiles.

9to5Google decompiled the latest version of Google Messages from the Play Store and found something very interesting hidden within its codes. The strings show a new Profile tab and a profile setting section. There is another line of code for Profile Sharing, which we assume could work like contact sharing. A part of the string reads “Choose your profile name & picture so people can recognize you”, which is likely where users will be able to add a name and a photo to their profile.

Google Messages to get Profiles

Earlier this year, a Reddit post in the r/UniversalProfile subreddit (a forum for people who prefer RCS) showcased what this Profile page could look like after some people began seeing this setting option in their Android devices. The string code description matches what we see in the picture shared. Additionally, there are options for visibility when your profile is shared and notifications received on profile updates from your contacts.

What we do not know at this point is whether Profiles is an RCS feature or a Google Messages-specific feature. If it is RCS-based, then it would be available to all devices running RCS, whether they use Google Messages or not. But there is no way to confirm this.

It should also be noted that just because this feature was seen in the APK codes, it does not mean that the feature is definitely getting made or that it will appear anytime soon. Sometimes developers discard a feature midway and do not remove the lines of codes, which then make it to the released build. To know whether Profiles are really coming to the app, we will have to wait for an official confirmation from Google.