Google Contacts is rolling out a super useful new feature called “Recent activity.” This update makes it easier than ever to see your last interaction with a contact right inside their profile, showing you their most recent call and message at a glance. It’s a smart addition that brings convenience from other parts of your phone directly into your contact list.
The core value here is saving you taps. Instead of switching between your Contacts, Phone, and Messages apps to remember when you last talked to someone or what the last text was, it’s now all in one place. This makes following up or just checking context much quicker.
Google Contacts app icon showing a stylized blue person outline
What the ‘Recent Activity’ Card Shows You
When you open a contact’s profile in the Google Contacts app, you’ll now find a new card labeled “Recent activity.” This card sits neatly between their basic contact information and any connected apps.
Inside this card, you’ll see two main pieces of information:
- Most Recent Call: It tells you exactly when your last call with this person happened and how long it lasted. If you missed their last call, it will show that status instead.
- Last Message: This displays the last text or chat message sent from this contact via Google Messages. It even notes which specific phone number was used if they have multiple listed.
Tapping on either the call or message entry within the “Recent activity” card will take you directly to the corresponding conversation or call log, making it seamless to jump back in.
Screenshot of Google Contacts showing the new 'Recent activity' card with details of the last call and message for a contact
Getting It Set Up
While call information might appear automatically for some users, to see your recent messages, you’ll need to grant Google Contacts permission to view your SMS. The app will usually guide you through this with a simple prompt the first time you encounter the feature or try to view messages. Just follow the steps to allow the necessary permission.
This functionality feels similar to features seen elsewhere, like the Pixel VIPs widget, which also highlights recent contacts and interactions. It also builds upon how the Google Contacts homescreen widget can show notifications. While you could sometimes access contacts via the Google Phone app, that access is being simplified in some areas, making this dedicated Contacts app feature even more valuable.
Google Contacts 'Recent activity' feature prompting the user to grant SMS permission to view messages
Availability
The “Recent activity” feature is rolling out now. It’s appearing for users on version 4.58 of the Google Contacts app. The rollout seems to have started in the past week or so and is now becoming more widely available, so keep an eye out for it in your app.
In essence, this update makes the Google Contacts app a more dynamic tool, giving you quick context on your relationships and interactions without having to leave the app. It’s a small change but one that adds noticeable convenience to managing your communications.
