Google was spotted working on this limitation back in December 2024 in the form of custom RCS group chat profile photos, and it looks like the functionality is beginning to roll out to some users now.

The new 'Start chat' interface isn't live yet, and while it is unclear when it might roll out, it's safe to speculate that it will launch alongside the search UI revamp.

Google’s new look for Gmail is here for everyone, making some small shifts to how you interact with folders as well as apps like Chat, Meet, and Spaces. You can opt out and go back to the old ...