Google Messages Beta Is Making Contact Photos Go Poof For Some
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Summary
A visual glitch in the latest Google Messages beta (version 20250505_04_RC00) is causing contact profile pictures to disappear from the chat list for some users, making it harder to quickly identify contacts.
Unlike previous, more isolated incidents, this issue seems more widespread, with entire contact lists showing default contact initials. Standard troubleshooting steps like clearing cache or reinstalling the app are not proving effective, and a temporary fix for some involves leaving the beta program.
This bug arrives roughly two months after Google resolved a separate “phantom update” issue related to Google Play Services, highlighting recent instability within Google’s messaging ecosystem.
A visual glitch is currently affecting a subset of Google Messages users. The bug, which has been spotted in the past in a muted capacity, is currently making it difficult for some users to discern individual contacts at a glance within their Google Messages chat list.
This comes roughly two months after Google fixed a phantom update bug that prompted users to ‘Update Google Play Services’ to restore functionality to apps like Google Messages, with no actual update available to install.
Related
Although not a widespread issue, some users are reporting that the profile pictures of a lot of their contacts have suddenly disappeared, as highlighted by the folks over at TechIssuesToday. The bug only affects contacts shown in the Google Messages app’s chat list, with all profile pictures appearing intact in the Contacts app.
We’ve encountered this issue before, though in a significantly muted and sporadic capacity. Every now and then, a few contact photos from the bulk would fail to load. This time, the issue appears more extensive, with users sharing screenshots of their chat list with all contact photos replaced by the contacts’ initials.
Additionally, previously, simple troubleshooting steps like tapping on the contact to load the higher-resolution image used to fix the issue. That doesn’t seem to help in this situation. Users have also tried clearing the app’s cache, force closing it, restarting their device, uninstalling the app and installing it again, but none of the steps fixed the issue. “I temporarily fixed it by uninstalling updates for Google messages, but this morning all my contact photos are gone again within the messages app,” wrote user elshagon.
The issue appears to be connected to the latest Google Messages 20250505_04_RC00 beta. We tried to replicate the bug on a few devices, but contact photos appeared as they should. Those affected might be able to find some relief by opting out of the app’s beta program as a temporary workaround.
