iOS 17: How to Create Your Own Contact Poster

[MacRumors]

In iOS 17, due for release on Monday, September 18, Apple is bringing a big update to its Phone app, and one of the headlining new features is Contact Posters. Keep reading to learn what they are and how to use them.

Apple in iOS 17 is offering iPhone users a new way to express themselves when it comes to calls, with personalizable Contact Posters.

Contact Posters allow you to customize how you're represented when you give people a call. You can use photos and emoji to personalize your Contact Poster, which appears on a person's iPhone when you phone them. And like the iPhone Lock Screen, you can match images with eye-catching typography.

But your Contact Poster doesn't just show up in calls. It's also part of your contact card in the Contacts app, giving consistency in the places where you communicate and share. Apple is also making APIs available to developers so that Contact Posters appear for third-party VoIP apps, too.

As mentioned above, customizing your Contact Poster works a lot like personalizing your Lock Screen. You can choose an image, font, and color. The following steps show you how it's done on devices running iOS 17.

1. Open the Contacts app and tap on your own name.
2. Tap the Contact Photo & Poster option.
3. Tap Edit, then tap Customize.
4. Tap Poster.
5. Use the buttons at the bottom of the screen to take a photo, choose a photo you want to use from your library, pick a Memoji, or add a simple Monogram of your initials.
   
   
   To go along with your chosen image, you can optionally customize the font size, style, and color. (Note that you cannot change your name from this interface - that needs to be done by changing your contact info.)
6. Swipe across the poster to preview a selection of filters, including black and white, duotone, and color wash in the color of your choice.
7. When you're ready, tap Done to preview what a person sees when you call them. If you're happy with the look, tap Continue.
   Now you can opt to edit the crop of your Contact Photo, choose a different photo to use, or Skip this step.
   

That's your Contact Poster and Contact Photo complete. Contact Posters can be shared with your contacts automatically, or you can be prompted to share with anyone who calls you so no one sees your custom imagery without your permission.

Note that to account for Contact Posters, the design of the Contacts app has been tweaked. When you tap on a contact, you'll now see that their contact image, Memoji, or initials take up a much larger portion of the screen. This also counts for contacts where you've assigned an image.

You can opt to tap on the Contact Photo and Poster option underneath the person's name to choose to update to the latest info automatically when your contact changes something like their profile photo, or turn on manual updates so you're prompted for the update.

Article Link: iOS 17: How to Create Your Own Contact Poster

 

[contacos]

It’s weird how they seem to have decided to merge the setting of your iCloud / Apple ID Profile Picture with the settings of your Caller ID Poster like those are two completely different things? It took me forever to figure out how to change my iCloud Account photo (the one in a circle) and not the Call Poster unless I missed some settings somewhere.

Also you can do the same changes in settings > Messages which makes it even more confusing

 

[jaster2]

Hmm… so if someone creates their contact poster with some kind of obscene or NSFW image, it’s going to display on the unlucky recipient’s phone?

 

[Logic368]

It’s weird how they seem to have decided to merge the setting of your iCloud / Apple ID Profile Picture with the settings of your Caller ID Poster like those are two completely different things? It took me forever to figure out how to change my iCloud Account photo (the one in a circle) and not the Call Poster unless I missed some settings somewhere.

Also you can do the same changes in settings > Messages which makes it even more confusing

Agreed. There should be a global setting for it, like standby mode.

 

[psxp]

Hmm… so if someone creates their contact poster with some kind of obscene or NSFW image, it’s going to display on the unlucky recipient’s phone?

This will be.... interesting.

 

[fullfast]

Would love to but mine says "DISABLED".....what am I missing....is it country and carrier specific....UK user

 

[crsh1976]

It’s weird how they seem to have decided to merge the setting of your iCloud / Apple ID Profile Picture with the settings of your Caller ID Poster like those are two completely different things? It took me forever to figure out how to change my iCloud Account photo (the one in a circle) and not the Call Poster unless I missed some settings somewhere.

Also you can do the same changes in settings > Messages which makes it even more confusing

This reminds me of the iOS 16 locked screen image/style/widget management accessed from the locked screen rather than from the device settings where we typically do everything - it's completely counterintuitive, I've had to explain how to get there to several folks around me, but somehow Apple thinks it's where it belongs.

 

[kirky29]

Does this only work if you have the person in your contact list?

 

[JungleNYC]

Hmm… so if someone creates their contact poster with some kind of obscene or NSFW image, it’s going to display on the unlucky recipient’s phone?

Making my poster now! 😉

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I made one on the beta awhile ago but nobody I know runs the beta. I can finally share my design next week!

 

[Marky811]

So you can only make your own? So people who call me who never bother to upgrade (probably vast majority, family etc) I’ll either have to borrow their phones and do it for them or just accept it’s feature that won’t work in many cases? Especially android users! I assumed I could create contact cards much like you do now, so when my mother rings, i see the photo I’ve chosen to see etc.

 

[Skyscraperfan]

How is that contact poster delivered to the recipient? Does it somehow go over Apple servers? I see some privacy issues with that. If I make a phone call, no bit of data should reach Apple or any other company besides the provider of the mobile network.

Another privacy issue arises if it only works with iPhones. Why would I let the recipient know that I own an iPhone? For me that feels like an unpaid ad for Apple. It is like a blue bubble. For me it would be quite embarrassing if others learn that I bought an overpriced phone. That information can be quite damaging in the wrong hands. Research has shown that some online stores or hotel platforms show higher prices to iPhone users than to Android users, as iPhone users are less price sensitive.

The third privacy issue is the photo displaying on the phone. Imagine having your phone on the table, a call is incoming and everyone will see a photo of the person who is calling. That is a privacy issue for the people on both end of the call. Your friends will ask you "Oh, is that your date from last week?" or worse.

 

[antiprotest]

Hmm… so if someone creates their contact poster with some kind of obscene or NSFW image, it’s going to display on the unlucky recipient’s phone?

That's my first thought, since it's the kind of thing I would try.

I assume they will implement the same tech that blocks such images on Messages, so that's a no go.

However, it might not stop an image of a huge cucumber between two oranges and other such designs.

So we're back in business, kind of.

 

[antiprotest]

It took me forever to figure out how to change my iCloud Account photo (the one in a circle) and not the Call Poster

How do you do this?

 

[Expos of 1969]

A name is sufficient. No need for this which will add to battery drain and then result in some folks spending big bucks for a new phone sooner than should be required.

 

[Chaos215bar2]

This reminds me of the iOS 16 locked screen image/style/widget management accessed from the locked screen rather than from the device settings where we typically do everything - it's completely counterintuitive, I've had to explain how to get there to several folks around me, but somehow Apple thinks it's where it belongs.

The intent is probably to mirror the way watch faces are configured.

But you’re absolutely right. My problem is that I’m constantly pulling my phone out of my pocket only to find that by the time I even look at the screen, I’m half way to completely changing my lock screen arrangement. Settings belong in Settings.

 

[crsh1976]

The intent is probably to mirror the way watch faces are configured.

But you’re absolutely right. My problem is that I’m constantly pulling my phone out of my pocket only to find that by the time I even look at the screen, I’m half way to completely changing my lock screen arrangement. Settings belong in Settings.

See, as I don't own an Apple Watch, this never occured to me - it may just explain the thought process, but it does not excuse the shortsighted decision to apply it to iOS. Anyway, now I know, so we can just move forward with it.

 

[contacos]

How do you do this?

Settings > Messages > (1) "Share Name and Photo"* > Edit (somehow it showed the Memoji and not the Poster? Don't ask me) > (2) Next you see the same poster twice (for some reason) and only the one on the right has a "customise" button and (3) there you can select to change "Contact Photo" or "Poster". Like I said, incredible dumb

(1)

(2)

(3)

*Incredible dumb spot to put it

 

[hxlover904]

For those of us that have dual sims in our phones, I wish there was a way to configure two of these, one for each Sim (work number and personal number). Otherwise this is pretty cool.

Also, there’s a mechanism in place to stop pics from automatically showing up.

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

For those of you who say that Apple doesnt innovate any longer. How do you explain contact posters? Checkmate ppl....

 

[kingtj1971]

Hmm… so if someone creates their contact poster with some kind of obscene or NSFW image, it’s going to display on the unlucky recipient’s phone?

That was my first thought (perhaps sadly?). I can see all sorts of ridiculousness happening, like someone calling you and using an offensive poster image that your whole dinner party sees, because your phone is sitting on the table next to you.

Might be smart for Apple to design this so you can block all of the new incoming poster contact images until you get to review them?

 

[ProfessionalFan]

Might be smart for Apple to design this so you can block all of the new incoming poster contact images until you get to review them?

From the story:

You can opt to tap on the Contact Photo and Poster option underneath the person's name to choose to update to the latest info automatically when your contact changes something like their profile photo, or turn on manual updates so you're prompted for the update.

 

[Expos of 1969]

That was my first thought (perhaps sadly?). I can see all sorts of ridiculousness happening, like someone calling you and using an offensive poster image that your whole dinner party sees, because your phone is sitting on the table next to you.

Might be smart for Apple to design this so you can block all of the new incoming poster contact images until you get to review them?

If you were at my dinner party your phone would be in your jacket pocket in the cloakroom. Give your fellow diners and your hosts your full attention or hit the road.

 

[coolbreeze2]

What would be great is if this worked in reverse. I could have a special poster that telemarketers saw when they called my number!

 

[kingtj1971]

From the story:

Yeah, but doesn't sound like that's the default behavior, which means this feature will cause plenty of problems....