The information and the personal data They are Google's most important currency. Many of its smart features and connected services are built upon them. That's why, in the latest beta update, it has added a new screen for add your contacts information, closely linked to the Google Assistant and the rest of the apps in the ecosystem, such as Phone Number, Contacts or Google Duo.
When are their birthdays? Google wants to know the relevant information of your contacts
Google ha beta version updated of its main application. From now on, if you go to the window of Settings and you look for the category of Personal information, you will find a new option called Your peopleFollowing the lines of features already implemented that allowed you to refer to specific contacts like "Mom" or "Brother," Google wants expand the amount of contextual information of your contacts that it has available to offer more accurate answers, personalized reminders, and automated actions.
This section of Your people It acts as a small, enriched profile of the people you interact with most: family, close friends, partner, coworkers, etc. From there you can enter details such as their relationship with you, Its , contact preferences or even associate common voice commands so that the Assistant better understands who you are referring to in each situation.
In this context, something that Google is also promoting in other apps becomes very useful: that the information you save in Contacts, Phone and the Assistant are perfectly timed with your Google account. This way, if you change phones or register on a new device, all that additional information about "your people" travels with you without having to set it up from scratch.
Furthermore, this commitment to getting to know your contacts better is complemented by Google's advancements in call management: new interfaces for the Phone app, features such as Expressive calls and improvements in caller ID and anti-spam protection, which depend heavily on having well-organized and labeled contacts.
Upon entering the Your People window, you currently only see what you are supposed to do, in addition to a list of suggested commands for the Google AssistantHowever, the functionality doesn't appear to be complete, since it doesn't currently link contacts to your orders as one might expect. Thus, although it suggests you tell it when you should birthday congratulations When trying to add important people, the system won't associate them with the contact, since it won't even ask who they are. It will simply add them to its list of remembered things. This fits with the typical behavior of many Google beta features. first they are activated in a limited way And, as the code is completed, they begin to integrate with the rest of the ecosystem's services.
How does this new feature fit in with Phone, Contacts, and other Google apps?
The new section of Your people It is not an isolated element, but part of a broader Google strategy to modernize call and contact management On Android. The Phone app beta is introducing significant changes that directly affect how you view and use your contacts' information:
- Simplified call logThe calls are no longer grouped in a confusing way, but are displayed as a unique chronologically ordered listThis makes it easier to locate a specific conversation with an important contact.
- Gestures to respond or rejectA gesture is being tested horizontal to answer or hang up, designed to avoid accidental touches when taking the phone out of your pocket.
- Simpler bottom barNavigation is reduced to three options (Home, Keyboard, and Voicemail), focusing on Home Everything related to recent calls, frequent contacts, and shortcuts.
- Updated photos and contact framesThe Material 3 Expressive design applies new rounded and colorful frames to the photos of your contacts, making each person more recognizable at a glance.
All these visual and usability improvements gain value when your contacts contain relevant, well-structured dataKnowing that a number belongs to a family member, that it's their birthday today, or that the phone is associated with a specific business allows the system to display more useful alerts, better organize records, and suggest smart actions.
In parallel, Google is also working on features such as visual voicemail, anti-spam protection, company identification that they call you or the emergency location which you can share with support services. Again, it all comes down to the same thing: combine your contacts' data with the system's capabilities to ensure that each call or notification arrives with the maximum possible context.
Expressive calls and prior context: more information before answering
One of the most striking developments in the beta version of the Google Phone app is the feature of "Expressive calls"Although designed for calls, it's closely related to how you manage and understand your contact information. Its goal is to give the reason for the call before you answer it, reducing the feeling of intrusion that many people feel when the phone rings.
The system works by allowing the caller to add a brief contextual message which will appear on the receiver's screen as a label. Instead of just seeing the name or number, a predefined reason is also displayed, such as:
- It's urgent!
- News to share
- Catch up
- Quick question
To achieve this, the system will automatically send a Silent SMS associated with the call, with the text corresponding to the chosen label. The Phone app will interpret this message and display it as part of the incoming notification and in the call history, so you know at a glance. whether it's worth answering at that moment Or you can call back later.
The category of "It's urgent!" It takes on a key role. When both the sender and receiver have the function activated, a call marked with this tag can It still rings even when Do Not Disturb mode is on. enabled and generate special alerts such as "You missed an urgent call." This is especially useful in critical situations (family emergencies, important work coordination, medical notices, etc.).
Everything suggests that initially these expressive calls will be limited to the Pixel line Android users who are part of the Phone app beta program will already be able to test features, following Google's usual strategy: first testing advanced features on their own devices and later rolling them out to other manufacturers. Logically, to prevent abuse and spam, priority will be given to using the app with [specific features/devices/etc.]. saved and verified contacts, closely linked to the information you already have configured in Your People.
Beware of personal information
As mentioned at the beginning, the insights It is the main currency of GoogleIt's what allows you to operate and keep your business afloat through personalized services, targeted ads, and smart features across the entire Android ecosystem. Therefore, when new features like Your People or Expressive Calling appear, it's advisable to maintain a a certain degree of caution before providing everything that is requested.
Also, this time we talk about information that does not belong to usRather, it relates to other people: birthdays, family relationships, the importance of a specific contact, reasons for calls, etc. From a privacy standpoint, this requires even greater care, as we are sharing data that can affect third parties without their necessarily being aware of it.
Recent scandals involving data leaks and dubious uses on social media have shown that many times we are not fully aware of everything we share or how that information is cross-referenced. In the case of Google, it's important to frequently review the privacy settings, contact synchronization options and the permissions of the different apps (Phone, Contacts, Duo, etc.), to make sure we are happy with the level of exposure.
It's also worth remembering that beta versions of Google system services can be less stable In final versions, some features may not work, certain apps may close unexpectedly, or the device may behave erratically. This includes potential errors in contact management and the handling of associated personal information.
If you join trial programs, both for the Phone app and the Google system servicesIt is recommended to do this on a device that don't make it your main phoneand follow the program's exit instructions if you encounter any problems. This way, you will be able to retrieve contacts and recover the production version without losing control over your data or your calendar.
Other news to come
The analysis of the code of the latest beta of Google It sheds some light on features that are still to come and that will further enhance the use of your contact information and communication history. The first of these would be the possibility of create regular routinessetting days, times, and speaker to use. These routines could combine reminders related to specific people (for example, calling a family member at regular intervals) with automated Assistant actions.
The second function is a new button for Send to deviceThis feature will allow you to use a Google Assistant command from your mobile device, but have it affect, for example, one of the smart speakers in your home. This opens the door to interactions where you can request a specific contact to be called from a speaker, a message to be played for someone, or an alert to be set on another device linked to your account.
Also added new notification channels This helps to better separate important alerts (such as calls marked as urgent or reminders linked to key contacts) from less important notifications. This aligns with the general trend among Google and other manufacturers to reduce communication overload and prioritize only what truly needs your immediate attention.
Finally, there is a reference to the future Google Lens It will be usable from the frontal cameraAlthough at first glance it seems to be a function geared towards selfies or facial recognition, it could also have applications in the quick identification of business cards, personal QR codes or elements related to contacts and social networks, making it easier to add new contacts to your address book just by pointing the camera.
All these changes, from the Your People section to expressive calling, and including improvements to Phone and Contacts, point to the same goal: to make your mobile phone capable of provide context to each interaction With the important people in your life, reducing friction when making or receiving calls, and making it easier to decide what to address, when, and how. The key will be finding a balance between taking advantage of these benefits and maintaining control over what information you share and with whom.
