Google Messages Now Rolling Out Custom Group Chat Icons
Personalize group chats with custom icons in Google Messages for quicker visual identification.
If you’ve ever struggled to tell your group chats apart in Google Messages, you’re not alone. The default group icon, those overlapping circles of random profile pics, can be hard to differentiate, especially when you’re juggling multiple chats with the same people. While naming the group has been the only reliable way to keep things organized, Google is finally offering a more visual solution.
Some Android users are now seeing the option to set a custom group chat icon in the Messages app, according to 9to5Google. If it’s live on your device, you can tap into a group conversation, head to the top bar, and select the pencil icon on the Group Details page to upload a photo of your choice. It’s a small move, but it could be a useful feature for anyone who wants a quicker, more intuitive way to find the right thread.
Old message group chat vs New message group chat (via Android Authority & u/seeareeff on Reddit)
So far, it looks like you can’t upload GIFs, and once you change the default icon, there’s no simple way to revert to the original multi-avatar style. This could be frustrating for users who just want to test it out. According to reports from Reddit, the feature isn’t widely available yet, even for those using the beta version of Messages, suggesting Google is doing a slow rollout or limited test.
Compared to iPhones, which have allowed custom group icons since iOS 14, Android is a bit late to the party. But for users who rely on Messages, especially as Google pushes RCS as the future of texting, this is a welcome quality-of-life improvement.
Group chats are central to how many people communicate today, whether it's for family, friends, or work, and being able to visually distinguish them may go a long way in reducing friction. This minor tweak could make navigating your inbox faster and a little less chaotic.
Looking ahead, it’ll be worth watching whether Google expands this personalization feature with more flexible options (like emojis, themes, or reverting to default), especially as user expectations grow around chat customization.
Oluwaseun Bamisile
