Google Messages Update to Show Sender Names for Unsaved Contacts

Highlights

• New feature in Google Messages to display names for unsaved numbers.
• Sender name visibility depends on the sender’s profile discovery settings.
• Update found in the latest Google Messages beta version.
• Potential for a comments section in Google Search Notes feature.

Google may soon make it easier to identify who is sending you text messages from unsaved numbers.

The company appears to be working on a new feature for the Messages app that will display the contact’s name right in the message notification if their number is not saved in your phone.

New Google Messages Feature

This unannounced capability was discovered in the latest Google Messages beta app.

However, it will only work if the sender has enabled Google’s “profile discovery” setting for their account.

Users will need to update this privacy control through their Google account website before the name-displaying functionality can work.

While some existing Messages beta testers could already see names for unknown numbers, this update would make that information more readily visible by surfacing it in the initial message alert.

However, Google has not confirmed if or when this feature may get an official release.

The ability to immediately see who an incoming text is from, without having their contact info pre-saved, could prove to be a convenient time-saver.

It eliminates the need to ask the sender for clarification or look up details about an unfamiliar number.

Of course, it relies on the other party making their name available through Google’s systems first.

Comments Under Search Results?

In separate Google news, the company seems to be progressing work on a new Comments section for its Search Notes feature.

An opt-in service first previewed in 2023, Notes allows users to annotate web content with text, stickers, and photos displayed in Search results.

A developer was able to activate the dormant Comments setting recently buried in the Notes menu.

This suggests Google may enable users to toggle on/off comments for their own published Notes in the future.

The company previously discussed providing website owners data about public notes on their pages as well.

While the Comments capability is not available yet, its appearance in the Search app code indicates Google is still advancing the social, interactive aspects of its Notes platform.

The ultimate rollout timeline remains uncertain.

FAQs

What is the new feature in Google Messages about?

Google is testing a feature in its Messages app that shows the name of the sender in the notification for texts from unsaved numbers, provided the sender has enabled profile discovery settings in their Google account.

How can users see the names of senders not saved in their contacts?

To see names of unsaved contacts, both the sender and receiver need to update their privacy settings to enable profile discovery through their Google account settings.

Is the sender name feature available to all Google Messages users?

Currently, this feature is in beta testing and not widely available. It’s unclear when Google will officially release this functionality to all users.

What other feature is Google reportedly working on for its Search app?

Google is also developing a Comments feature for its Search Notes service, allowing users to leave comments on web content notes, although the launch timeline for this remains uncertain.

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