Google Messages engaged on fixing a privateness concern with its Profile discovery characteristic

Google Messages is now working to repair a Profile discovery privateness danger that has been round since Google launched the characteristic final yr. The favored RCS messaging app for Android has been gaining recognition not too long ago and increasingly firms are selecting it over different messenger apps.

With the rise in recognition, Google Messages is evolving to satisfy the wants and expectations of customers higher. Again in November 2023, Google introduced Profiles, which allowed folks to search out different profiles.

 The characteristic itself is not accessible to all people but (it has been rolling out to customers considerably sporadically), and now, the oldsters at Android Authority have found that Google is engaged on fixing privateness considerations round profile discovery.

Digging into the code of Google Messages v20241010 beta, Android Authority discovered adjustments that might give customers extra management over who can see their title and profile image. Proper now, as a part of the Profile Discovery characteristic, you may select to make use of the title out of your profile or a brief title and present or conceal your profile image.

However when this replace turns into official, you’ll have new choices inside Google Messages for profile privateness and visibility. Listed here are the sharing choices you’ll probably get to your profile picture and your title:

• Folks you message: Probably, this feature will present your title and profile picture to folks you’ve gotten messaged, whether or not or not they’re in your contact listing. This most probably can be what a “Public” profile on social media is. That is the characteristic you’d use if you wish to be discovered by folks once they lookup your quantity via Profile Discovery.  
• Solely your contacts: Straightforwardly, this implies your title and profile picture shall be proven solely to folks in your contacts.
• Nobody: Probably, your title and picture shall be hidden from anybody.

Reportedly, these new choices shall be proven to you if you log into Google Messages for the primary time as soon as the replace has been rolled out. It is possible for you to to vary this setting via the “Your profile” choice within the account switcher after that as properly. For now, it isn’t clear whether or not selecting the “Nobody” choice means you flip off profile discovery options. Nonetheless, providing these choices is a good way to make sure that privacy-focused people is not going to be involved with Profile Discovery options.

For the second, remember that you continue to can not set a unique profile image or title for Google Messages, and the app takes the image and title out of your Google account. Hopefully, Google will work on that characteristic too.

After virtually a full yr after the Profiles announcement although, the characteristic is not rolled out to everybody simply but. It is nice although that Google is fixing privateness considerations forward of a wider rollout.