Google Account & profile sharing in Google Messages

To make the people you send messages to recognize you easily, you can share your Google Account profile (name and picture only). To keep your privacy:

  • You can choose who to share your name and picture with. You can stop sharing any time.
  • Google Messages doesn’t share your email address.
  • You can use Google Messages without your Google Account, but you can’t share a profile.

How it works

  • When you sign in to Google Messages with your Google Account, you can choose who can check your profile information.
  • When you send a message to another Google Messages user, only then does Google Messages share your name and picture with them. Your name and picture aren’t shared with someone who’s not on Google Messages.
  • This doesn't make your profile publicly visible.
  • When you’ve shared your name and picture with someone, they can find that info across Google services beyond Google Messages.
  • Your phone number won't be visible in other Google apps. It's only used to verify and help other Google Messages users connect with you.
  • When a profile is shared for one of your existing contacts, you'll receive a new picture for them in Google Messages, but retain the saved name if it's different.

Manage profile sharing & related features

Manage profile sharing
You can control how Google Messages shares your profile information:
  1. Open Google Messages .
  2. At the top right, tap your Profile picture.
  3. Select Your profile .
  4. Select one of these options:
    • People you message: Your profile is visible to people after you send them a message.
    • Only your contacts: Your profile is visible to people after you send them a message, but only if they're in your contacts.
    • No one: Your profile isn't made visible to anyone after you send a message.

If you find a tilde (~) before someone's name, they're sharing their profile, and they're not yet saved as a contact.

If you accidentally share your profile with a suspected spammer,block and report the conversation as spam. Your profile information is immediately removed from that conversation, which removes access to your profile name and picture from the spammer.

Learn how to block senders & report spam in Google Messages.

Related settings

Profile Discovery: This setting is in your Google Account and doesn’t affect how Google Messages shares your profile. Learn more about Profile Discovery.

Use Google Messages without an account
  1. Open Google Messages .
  2. At the top right, tap your Profile picture and then Down arrow and then Use without an account .
  3. Tap Sign out or No thanks.

When you use Google Messages without an account, you may not have access to features like Magic Compose, Device Pairing or Gemini. Your profile isn't shared with anyone, and you won't find other users' profiles.

Turn phone number verification on or off

To enable Google services and help people reach you, your carrier and Google periodically verifies your device info and phone number. You can opt out at any time.

  1. Open your Google Settings. Based on your phone’s model:
    1. Open your phone's Settings app, and then select Google.
    2. Open a separate app called Google Settings.
  2. Select Privacy & Security and then Phone Number Verification.
  3. Choose whether to automatically verify the phone numbers.

Learn how to verify your Android phone's number.

Change the phone number on your Google Account
  1. Open your device's Settings app.
  2. Tap Google and then Manage your Google Account.
  3. At the top, select Personal info.
  4. Under "Contact info," tap Phone number.
  5. Select your phone number.
  6. From here, you can:
    • Add a phone number: Under "Your phone numbers," select Add recovery phone.
      • If you haven't already, add a recovery phone number.
    • Change your phone number: Next to your number, tap Edit Edit and then Update number.
    • Delete your phone number: Next to your number, tap Delete Delete and then Remove number.
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Tip: If you change the number in your Google Account, it affects some Google services. Learn how to change the phone number on your account & how it's used.

Set a local contact picture for someone in Google Messages

You can choose to display your contact’s profile picture in Google Messages. You can set a local contact picture or their shared profile picture.

  1. Open Google Messages .
  2. Open a conversation with the contact.
  3. At the top of the conversation, tap the Contact's name or Profile picture.
  4. On top of the details page, tap the Profile picture.
  5. To switch between the shared profile picture and your local contact photo, swipe left or right.

Related resources

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