Google Contacts 2.7 preps multi-person widget and ‘Suggested name’ feature [Gallery]

For most people, contact management is a constant struggle from adding new ones to efficiently organizing and filling out information. In recent releases, Google Contacts added various smarts to help, with a teardown now revealing work on more accurate suggestions and a widget in version 2.7.

About APK Insight: In this ‘APK Insight’ post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in the case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.

Contact List Widget

The app has long featured three types of widgets, including a shortcut that opens a contact, direct dials, or direct messages. Version 2.7 now reveals that Google is working on a widget that shows more that one contact at a time. By default, the new “Contact list” widget can show three people, but it can be resized to fit the entire screen and display even more.

Upon placing on your homescreen, users will be asked to select what contacts populate that widget: Starred, Frequent, or Recent. A new string also suggests that users will be able to change the view after the fact.

<string name=”recents_header”>Recent</string>

<string name=”reconfigure_widget”>Tap to reconfigure</string>

Suggested names

Recent versions of Google Contacts have boosted the app’s Suggestions feature from adding frequent contacts to new details. Google is now working on suggesting names for the times your details may be incomplete. Suggestions could come from a user’s Google profile, Maps, or a corporate directory when in an enterprise environment.

<string name=”header_text”>Suggestions based on available info</string>

<string name=”suggested_name”>Suggested name</string>

<string name=”suggestion_from_directory”>Directory</string>

<string name=”suggestion_from_google_maps”>Google Maps</string>

<string name=”suggestion_from_google_profile”>Google profile</string>

<string name=”suggestion_from_source”>Suggestion from <xliff id=”source_name” example=”Google profile”>%s</xliff></string>

Meanwhile, version 2.7 features several renamed strings that shows the app simplifying is the interface:

Before:

<string name=”assistant_cleanup_header”>Delete junk contacts</string>

<string name=”assistant_duplicates_header”>Clean up duplicates</string>

<string name=”cleanup_header_text”>Junk from your contacts</string>

<string name=”phone_repair_new_number”>New</string>

<string name=”phone_repair_old_number”>Old</string>

After:

<string name=”assistant_cleanup_header”>Delete junk email addresses</string>

<string name=”assistant_duplicates_header”>Merge duplicates</string>

<string name=”cleanup_header_text”>”Addresses that can’t receive email”</string>

<string name=”phone_repair_new_number”>To</string>

<string name=”phone_repair_old_number”>Change</string>

Dylan contributed to this article

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