Samsung Contacts vs. Google Contacts

[ilgal]

Hi, all. Moved from my beloved Note 9 to the S24+. Most of my photos were stored on my Note's SD card, which I did not have ported over (they are backed up elsewhere).

I get that I'll have to reinstall photos of people whose pix I want to display in Contacts and Messages. I've run into a problem I can't sort.

When I receive a text from my husband, his old (from the Note) photo shows up. When he calls, no photo shows up. I can't locate where the (old) photo is even stored. It's not in my pictures anywhere.

So - 3 questions: where the heck is the "old" photo, and what folder do I use to put "new" photos in so my Contacts can see them? AND...how do I even know which Contacts I'm using? There's only one option in my apps, and in there, when I add a new contact, I have to pull down a menu to choose if I want it stored in the phone (which I presume is the Samsung contacts?) or tie it to my Gmail. So do both Google and Samsung use the same Contacts app? (It seems that way). Somewhere in all this setup, I responded Yes to a sync question re: contacts. I set up my Note 6 years ago when I bought it, and can't recall what I did.

Help? Thanks!!

 

[spARTacus]

If you're using the Google Messages App and RCS for text messages on your new phone, then the avatar you see when you receive a text from your husband could be coming from an awareness your phone gets about your husband's account and profile (the avatar he has setup) that he uses with Google Messages / RCS. Ask him to do a quick test, to change his avatar on that account, and see if it comes in differently. It could be that it's not (yet) stored anywhere on your phone.

When entering a new contact, the drop down is probably giving you the option of differentiating between use of a local on phone database (per se), or the online synced one. You should be able to explore both, from your contacts app.

When you have your contacts app open, use the recent apps button to show all recent apps and then long press on the contacts app icon to see app info, and then check in there for an understanding of what contacts app it actually is.

My suggestion is create a specific folder (using the default File Manager App that is on your phone) somewhere convenient locally on your phone and call it "pics for contacts" or something like that, and then place in that folder any pics you might want to use/assign to specific contacts. Your phone's Gallery App as a pic picker for your Contacts App, should then be able to find those pics. If you are using Google Contacts synced from a Google account, you might also be able to assign pics to contacts from a browser, online via your Google account.

 

[spARTacus]

Hi, all...

Today when I tried to use Google Messages App, it presented me with a screen that I've never seen before.

It was basically forcing me to have to be signed in with an account, and giving me the option of how to present myself (in terms of name and a picture) to those that would receive my messages (I only use text/SMS/MMS, not RCS). There was no way around the screen. I could not use the app without going through the screen.

I chose an account and then chose the option that would basically send my name and picture to no one (I think there were two other options, one for sharing with only my contacts when I sent messages, and one for sharing with everyone/anyone when I sent messages. Then (after getting into the app) I went to settings and chose "use without an account" (which did seem to still work).

I'm not sure how this "new feature" of the Google Messages App works, but I guess it's maybe now not just limited (sending pics/names along with the actual message) to when using RCS (I haven't been using RCS).

 

[ilgal]

If you're using the Google Messages App and RCS for text messages on your new phone, then the avatar you see when you receive a text from your husband could be coming from an awareness your phone gets about your husband's account and profile (the avatar he has setup) that he uses with Google Messages / RCS. Ask him to do a quick test, to change his avatar on that account, and see if it comes in differently. It could be that it's not (yet) stored anywhere on your phone.

When entering a new contact, the drop down is probably giving you the option of differentiating between use of a local on phone database (per se), or the online synced one. You should be able to explore both, from your contacts app.

When you have your contacts app open, use the recent apps button to show all recent apps and then long press on the contacts app icon to see app info, and then check in there for an understanding of what contacts app it actually is.

My suggestion is create a specific folder (using the default File Manager App that is on your phone) somewhere convenient locally on your phone and call it "pics for contacts" or something like that, and then place in that folder any pics you might want to use/assign to specific contacts. Your phone's Gallery App as a pic picker for your Contacts App, should then be able to find those pics. If you are using Google Contacts synced from a Google account, you might also be able to assign pics to contacts from a browser, online via your Google account.

I will give your suggestions a whirl. What you've said seems logical to me, so I hope it works! Thanks!