this is the personal blog of brandon quintana.

As reported on Hawk Wings, Gmail has added the ability to add photos to the people in your contact list. This is similar to how instant messaging applications allow the user to have an icon. The Google Talk application allows this and since Talk is now implemented in Gmail’s web interface, it seems like a logical feature to add.

The icon is displayed as a tool tip when hovering over the user’s name. There are a few configuration options such as setting the picture yourself, viewing those chosen by your friends, and being able to suggest photos.

There is also a privacy option allowing certain people to view the photos. This is a small but clever feature by Google. Little features like photos make it more user friendly and more inviting to use the service.