Among the changes in Android 4.4 Kitkat, the dialer is one area that’s been given a fair bit of attention. The updated Phone app has a new look and can do handy things such as provide you with the numbers and contact information of nearby businesses, and from early next year it will be able to grab profile photos from Google+ and display them when you make or receive a call.
Google announced yesterday, via their Android Google+ page, that users who have verified their phone number with Google+ and have discovery turned on will have their names and Google Profile photos display whenever they make or receive calls. Google notes that this feature is “great if a new friend who hasn’t been saved in your contacts yet calls you”, which suggests that even if you’ve never called someone before, your full name and photo will still appear on their phone if you call them.
While this “feature” will be quite appealing to some, others will be quite put off by the idea of potential strangers having their full name and photo, so it’s worth noting that this service is turned on by default. To change the settings, you’ll need to go into your Google account and uncheck the box that says “Help people who have your phone number find you on Google services and connect with you.”.
What do you think about your Google+ profile picture being automatically associated with your phone number? Has Google gone too far, or is it no big deal? Let us know in the comments.
