Google Contacts has added new features to its widget. Now you can see message notifications and shared location of your contacts right on your home screen.
Google Contacts continues to evolve with regular updates that enrich its functionalities. After recently improving its interface and integrating options to manage connected messaging applications, the application has introduced a functionality to completely hide unwanted messages.
With the update 4.34Google Contacts improve your widget by integrating new features. Now it is possible to see and respond to notifications de messages and visualize the shared location of your contacts.
The Google Contacts widget has two new features
The first novelty is displaying message notifications. A bell icon appears in the upper right corner of the individual contacts widget. After allowing access to notifications, you will see recent messages as well as suggested answers.
To install the contact widget:
- Long-press an empty space on your Home screen.
Select “Widgets”. - Scroll down to “Contacts” and tap the individual contact widget (2 x 2).
- Tap the blue “+ Add” button and choose the desired contact.
To enable notifications:
- Tap the bell icon on the widget.
- Follow the instructions to allow access to notifications in Settings.
The second new feature concerns the shared location of Google Contacts. Now you can see where your contacts are in the real world. Their position is displayed on their profile picture in the widget. By tapping on this image, you will access Google Maps. This feature is particularly useful for tracking the movements of your loved ones or finding someone in an unknown location.
To view the shared location:
- Add the individual contact widget to your home screen.
- Make sure the location is shared by the contact via Google Maps.
- The current location will be visible on the profile image in the widget.
Finally, you can now set a specific time pour receive reminders important dates, like birthdays or wedding anniversaries, directly from this widget.
