Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Google Contacts version 4.26 introduced a new framework of connected applications.
- The new section moves the various contact methods for apps like WhatsApp and Telegram into dropdown menus.
- The refreshed look means you don’t see the same phone number over and over again.
You may have noticed that the latest update to the Google Contacts app brought a cleaner look to each contact entry. Among other changes, version 4.26 of the Google Contacts app introduced a separate “Related Apps” box to reduce the list of options you immediately see when you view a contact (via TheSpAndroid).
Before the update, you might have seen your acquaintance’s phone number, then a few contact options for WhatsApp, a few more lines for Telegram, and so on. This gave you quick access to actions like starting a WhatsApp voice call, but it also felt rushed and disorganized. All these contact options related to other apps are now stored in the “Related apps” box below the main contact information.
As you’ll see in the screenshots below, the Linked Apps box initially shows a single-line entry for each app, with a drop-down arrow next to it. Tapping the arrow expands the box for that particular app to show different contact methods for voice calls, video calls, and messages.
This change means you’ll only see a contact’s phone number when you open their entry. Every option to get in touch with them through various connected apps is just a tap away more than before.
We love this new look. Besides being more pleasing to the eye, it will be less confusing for some users. Opening the contacts page and repeatedly seeing a wall with the same phone number might have confused some people a bit.