Summary
- Google Messages is working on adding the ability to customize RCS group chat icons, addressing a long-requested feature for personalization.
- Users will be able to choose images from their device’s gallery and Google Photos to set as custom icons for their RCS group chats, with options to crop and rotate the image.
- The custom icon change will be visible to all members of the group chat, and a notification will inform everyone of the update. The feature is currently in beta and expected to roll out soon, potentially with the added ability to set custom icons when creating new groups.
Google Messages has slowly but surely become a dominant force, at least when it comes to the US market. That’s largely thanks to its tight integration with the Android ecosystem, alongside robust RCS functionality, which extends to group chats on the platform.
While the platform boasts a wide array of features to make the platform a compelling hub for all things communication-related, it has lacked the one thing that helps users personalize their RCS group chats.
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Google Messages RCS group chats could soon allow more customization
Custom icons spotted in the works
In its current implementation, Google Messages automatically creates icons for your RCS group chats that consist of initials and profile pictures of group participants. Although convenient, this prevents users from being able to assign personalized icons/photos to their group chat, a limit that Google wants to address.
Back in December, the tech giant was spotted working on giving users the option to assign custom icons to their RCS group chats, and it looks like it has made significant progress on it.
Folks over at Android Authority were able to manually enable the feature in Google Messages beta release (version 20250218_01_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic), highlighting what custom RCS group chat icons will look like once they go live.
Custom icons are on the horizon
From the looks of it, the process is simple, mirroring functionality seen within the Contacts app. You simply navigate to the group chat that you want to adorn with a custom icon and open its information screen. Tapping the pencil icon next to the current group icon will take you straight to your device gallery, where you’re free to choose an image. Additional customization comes in the form of crop and rotate freedom.
It’s worth noting that the new group icon will be reflected for all users, complete with an in-chat prompt to notify all users about the change, as seen in the last screenshot above.
Additionally, building on the same functionality, users might also be able to set custom icons when creating a new group. It is likely that the functionality will go live alongside the broader release of custom icon support, which should happen soon, given its polished state in beta.
