Google just made my favorite Phone app feature even better. Here’s how to use it

Last August, the Google Phone app got a feature I immediately fell in love with: Calling Cards. Calling Cards allow you to create a customized screen whenever a contact calls you, including a personalized full-screen photo and customized text. For a customization geek like myself, it’s wonderful.

However, there’s been an issue with Calling Cards since their release. You can only create Calling Cards for your contacts, and, more importantly, you’re the only person who can see them. But thanks to an update on March 3, you can now create a Calling Card for yourself — and people you call will see it on their end.

Ready to create your own Calling Card? Here’s how to do it.

Getting started with the new personal Calling Cards is really simple. You should see a pop-up highlighting it right when you open the Google Phone app. It’s a big banner at the top of the screen that says “Create your calling card.” If you see this, tap the Get started button.

If, for some reason, you don’t see that pop-up, you can also access your own Calling Card by following this path:

1. Tap the three lines in the top-left corner.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
4. Tap Calling card.
5. Under “Your calling card,” tap Create.

After confirming which Google profile you want to link your Calling Card to, it’s time for the fun part.

You’ll first need a photo for your Calling Card. You can add one in three ways: Camera, Gallery, or Google Photos. Select whichever one you prefer and find a nice (or silly) picture you like. Once you pick a photo, you can move it around and zoom in/out to get it just right.

At the bottom of the screen are your text customization tools. The first row houses your font options, and below them are the colors you can choose from. There’s a lot of variety here, and the first font option lets you fine-tune the width, weight, and roundness. At any time, you can tap your Calling Card to see a full-screen preview.

Once you’re happy with your creation, tap Done in the top-right corner. The next page will show a preview of your card, along with options for how you’d like to share it. By default, your Calling Card is only shared with your contacts. However, you can tap Show your calling card to and change it to everyone you talk to if you prefer. Once this is configured the way you want, tap Done at the bottom of the screen.

Just like that, you’ve made your very own Calling Card! If you want to change your Calling Card design or adjust your sharing preferences, you can do so at any time by following the same steps above for finding the Calling Card page in the Phone app settings.

What to do if you don’t have the Calling Card update

As mentioned above, personal Calling Cards began rolling out widely in the Google Phone app as of March 3. However, in typical Google fashion, access is likely rolling out in stages and may take some time to reach your device.

If you don’t currently have Calling Cards on your Android phone, it’s worth visiting the Google Play Store and ensuring your Google Phone app is updated to the latest version. If your app is updated and you still don’t have access, you may just need to wait for Google to make a server side switch on its end.