Every time I’ve flashed a vanilla Android ROM on my HTC Desire, there hasn’t been a picture for “Me” in the native Messaging app. In other words, the little contact photo box next to my own messages in conversation lists has always been gray. Even though I had set a contact picture in Gmail and that I had added myself to my list of contacts. Nothing happened when I tapped the gray box, either. This is not a big issue, of course, but a picture next to your messages in the Messaging app definitely looks better than just a blank space.
So I decided to figure out a way to solve it, and luckily I succeeded, albeit the issue turned out to be a bit more complex than I initially thought. Here’s how you can get a picture for “Me” in Android’s Messaging app, if it’s grey.
Update: This process is a lot easier on Ice Cream Sandwich, as explained here.
- In case you haven’t added yourself to your Gmail contacts, do that now on your computer from Gmail > Contacts > New contact. Make sure that you enter your mobile number and that you add the photo you want to show up in Android’s Messaging app.
- On your phone, go to Settings > About phone > Status and check if your correct phone number is listed under My phone number. If your number is listed, then your Me picture should now appear in the Messaging app. If it says “Unknown” or if the number is incorrect, then we need to add or correct it. That was the case for me.
- A lot of people on the interwebs have recommended that you take out your SIM-card and put it in an old dumbphone that will let you specify your own number, or that you put the SIM in an iPhone. I thought that sounded like a very roundabout way to solve the problem, so I found a way to change your own number directly from your Android: an app called My Phone Number by Lytsing. Download the app and launch it.
- You will be greeted by the screen below. Tap Setting and enter your phone number exactly like it’s listed in Gmail. Voilà! You should now have a “Me” picture next to all your messages in the native Android Messaging app.
- If your picture still doesn’t show up, make sure your number isn’t listed under several contacts in Gmail, because then Android might not know which contact picture to use.
Update: You might have to set the SIM-card number with an old phone anyway, because the number I specify with the recommended app is apparently forgotten whenever I reboot my HTC Desire. Hopefully it will work better for you, though.
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Thanks for that but there is a MUCH easier way to do it. At the top of your contacts list on the app it will display your email address and if you click on it it will let you set your status. The gray box will be beside that and if you click on it it will let you set a pic :-)
I’m using an Android Optimus One / T.
It didn’t work for me. I downlaoded the change number app but it failed to install, so I went with an alternative. I changed my number but it didn’t help.
I also tried stopped the messaging service and restarting it.
I also turned the phone off and back on again.
I have a G2x running 2.3.3 and I don’t have the setting “Additional Settings” under – Settings->Call Settings /Other call settings->Additional Settings-> My Phone Number – like Eduardo said above. Anyone know why?
Settings->Call Settings /Other call settings->Additional Settings-> My Phone Number.
Afterwards add contact with same phone number and change the picture.
Worked like magic. Such a simple way…yet so hidden. Thanks a lot bro.
Thank you very much .. it worked for me :D
Thank you.
Couldn’t install the app, but this way it worked!
I can’t install the app on my LG Optimus One. The app description says: “only works on which uses android testkey signature 3-party ROMs. Son it can’t install in the device which use private key.”. What does this exa\ctly mean??
Ok, I found an old Bosch mobile and apparently managed to set my SIM number under Munu > Own Numbers: switching back to my Android phone, in Settings > About phone > Status > My phone number I see my correct phone number.
Still there’s no picture in the native Messaging app; the grey box disappeared though, being replaced by the white frame with the Droid silhouette (the default picture for contacts without a custom pic).
Now, here’s what I noticed: if you NOW tap on your Droid silhouette from the Messaging app > Contacts > Options > Edit Contact, you’re redirected to a form named “My Profile Contact from own_profile”.
More or less, the same thing happens if you go to Contacts > Options > More > My Profile > Options > Edit Contact.
Here I guess you can change your picture, although I doubt it’ll synch with your Google account.
I’m starting to think that a so-called “dumbphone” is way smarter that a smartphone…
The way I explained works.
That rocked!! I ca totally see my picture in the messaging app now!!!
Thanks so much for the heads up. No need to look for old phones to set the number anymore. My Phone Number by Lytsing does this just fine. AWESOME!!
Thank you so very much! It worked for me.