My Hangouts SMS avatar is blank - why?!

[xstinkyx]

I can't get an image to appear for me in Hangouts SMS. I'm referring to the user image on the right side of the screen during conversations/threads. It just shows the generic person graphic.

If I send a txt to myself then the left-side avatar (the sender) shows up correctly (my Google+ profile image), but the right-side image is still the generic one.

At first I thought this was due to me not having an image assigned in the top part of "My local profile" when I open myself up in the People app. I assigned myself a photo but still nothing appears (after a reboot). (I did note that on the N4 there was nothing assigned to that image option either, and SMS simply used my Google+ image.)

Sorry if this explanation is unclear. Help?

 

[MarqBland]

Change your picture on Google Plus. That's the picture that appears in my Hangouts app

 

[xstinkyx]

Change your picture on Google Plus. That's the picture that appears in my Hangouts app

What do you mean change my Google+ picture? Why isn't it using the current Google+ photo? It appears fine in the Gmail app. It appears fine in the People app. My Contact info includes my mobile phone number.

If I click on the generic image, it tries to go to https://plus.google.com/_sms_only_account/about , a page that gives a 404.

Note: I am signed out of the IM portion of Hangouts and just using the SMS component.

 

[avivazuck]

Mine shows up half the time and half the time is generic. Is this a network/connectivity issue?
btw - it shows up even though I am not in google circles, so I don't think that's the issue.

 

[JohnnyBroccoli]

Another annoying thing about Hangouts: you can't display an avatar unless you're a stupid ******* Google+ member.

 

[jj14x]

Another annoying thing about Hangouts: you can't display an avatar unless you're a stupid ******* Google+ member.

How else would the recipient's phone know your avatar? The SMS doesn't send your avatar - only text.

 

[patruns]

Are you actually signed in to Hangouts or only using the SMS feature?

 

[Shilohcane]

Another annoying thing about Hangouts: you can't display an avatar unless you're a stupid ******* Google+ member.

Goggle + is just another good place to store copies of pictures automatically. I have my Google + locked down with no friends and it just a place I upload copies of pictures to.

 

[JohnnyBroccoli]

How else would the recipient's phone know your avatar? The SMS doesn't send your avatar - only text.

Yeah....I realize that. I want to see my pic next to my text bubbles just so everything looks consistent.

- - - Updated - - -

Are you actually signed in to Hangouts or only using the SMS feature?

Definitely not signed in to Hangouts. Though I have accidentally started a Hangout a few times thinking it was SMS; only to realize a few days later that I wasn't being ignored.

 

[JohnnyBroccoli]

Goggle + is just another good place to store copies of pictures automatically. I have my Google + locked down with no friends and it just a place I upload copies of pictures to.

Sure but I already have Dropbox, Drive, and Copy to do all that just fine.

 

[patruns]

Yeah....I realize that. I want to see my pic next to my text bubbles just so everything looks consistent.

- - - Updated - - -


Definitely not signed in to Hangouts. Though I have accidentally started a Hangout a few times thinking it was SMS; only to realize a few days later that I wasn't being ignored.

I was asking the original poster......

 

[xstinkyx]

Are you actually signed in to Hangouts or only using the SMS feature?

I am currently only using the SMS feature. I am not signed into my gmail Hangouts.

I realized that my Google+ photo would properly appear if I signed into my gmail Hangouts, but why can't the SMS-only option pull my photo from elsewhere (i.e. my People contact that includes my mobile number that I'm txting from)?

 

[JohnnyBroccoli]

I was asking the original poster......

Tight.

 

[orthonovum]

I have the same issue...I have changed my g+ pic but it never shows an image in hangouts for sms and I also see the error screen if I tap the image placeholder. Its annoying and feels like Google half assed something in the programming

 

[patruns]

I am currently only using the SMS feature. I am not signed into my gmail Hangouts.

I realized that my Google+ photo would properly appear if I signed into my gmail Hangouts, but why can't the SMS-only option pull my photo from elsewhere (i.e. my People contact that includes my mobile number that I'm txting from)?

Because Hangouts is intended to work with Google+. The SMS feature is just a replacement of the old SMS app.

 

[srkmagnus]

Pull down the notification shade, click the top right option to view the tiles and select the top left tile, which should display your name and a picture (maybe a default picture in your case). Select the picture then on the next pop-up select the picture again - you'll be given an option to take a new photo or select from gallery. That should allow you to change the image and should also display the image via Hangouts sms.

Let us know if you have further questions.

 

[orthonovum]

Pull down the notification shade, click the top right option to view the tiles and select the top left tile, which should display your name and a picture (maybe a default picture in your case). Select the picture then on the next pop-up select the picture again - you'll be given an option to take a new photo or select from gallery. That should allow you to change the image and should also display the image via Hangouts sms.

Let us know if you have further questions.

FYI this does not work I tried this a few times one day trying to figure this out



Details:
1. g+ profile pic is set and appears in the top left of notification pulldown
2. have tried changing g+ profile pic from the phone
3. have tried adding my own phone number as a contact in the contacts app with the same g+ pic
4. have tried changing the g+ pic in g+ on PC
5. This is simply an annoyance and SMS functionality still works but why is this not happening to everyone?
6. when tapping the blank user pic this page comes up:



Full URL of error is: https://plus.google.com/_sms_only_account/about/

any ideas?

 

[jj14x]

In Hangouts, go to settings, SMS. The 2nd option "Account to show SMS in" - is it set to the correct Gmail ID?

 

[orthonovum]

In Hangouts, go to settings, SMS. The 2nd option "Account to show SMS in" - is it set to the correct Gmail ID?

Interesting, I do not have that option on mine. I only have the one gmail ID/account on this phone so maybe I dont see that unless I have multiple?

my suspicions are confirmed..

when not signed into hangouts even tho i can send myself a SMS and see my pic in the "from" left side lol the "to" right side is still blank

so this is just half-assed Google code issues and the Error 404 should be taken care of too :/

 

[patruns]

In Hangouts, go to settings, SMS. The 2nd option "Account to show SMS in" - is it set to the correct Gmail ID?

I don't have that option either. Are you running stock and un-rooted?