Android phones could finally be getting long-awaited iPhone feature for making calls
One of the most requested features from iPhones might finally be making its way to Android devices, ending a lengthy wait with a major overhaul of the call-making process.
If you pay attention to the smartphone world, you'll quickly notice how often the iPhone and Android sides are borrowing ideas from each other, yet both sides will always point towards the features that their chosen device had first.
It's typically simple quality of life features that make the headlines like improvements to charging information or AI-powered magic eraser technology, but you do often see major ideas bounce from one side to the other during yearly conferences.
Right now it's Android's turn to take inspiration from Apple though, with a feature that could change the way that you contact others on your device.
What feature are Android phones getting from iPhones?
As reported by PhoneArena, Google might well be working on an Android replica of Apple's Contact Posters feature that lets you choose how you display your information and digital identity when phoning or messaging others.
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While nothing has officially been confirmed, the information comes from a recent APK teardown of the Google Contacts app, shared by Android Authority, which has code that references 'calling cards'.
Inside the code, images were referred to as both contact photos - that you set for other people - and 'calling cards' that you would presumably set for yourself to appear on other devices.
Other areas also mention full-screen images and custom fonts, which are similar to the Contact Posters you'd find on iPhones and other Apple devices, and would likely be used for when you call other Android devices.
There are also references to cloud syncing with this feature, implying that you would be able to set up a 'Calling Card' identity which could then be used across multiple Android devices, permitting that they all share the same parent account.
What are Contact Posters?
If you're unaware of what Apple's Contact Posters are, they were introduced back in 2023 with iOS 17 and give users a way of creating a digital representation of themselves that automatically appears when communicating with other Apple devices.
One Reddit user describes the feature as being a "social media profile pic (and name), but for iMessage/FaceTime/iPhone-to-iPhone," and that is definitely the easiest way to understand its function.
Instead of having to individually create a contact for every new person on your phone, Contact Posters automatically does that for you and can help in instances when you're contacting someone for the first time.