Tech giant Google has created new images designed to be used for your Google profile picture, called Google Illustrations, for people who want to associate an image with their account instead of using their photo.
The new library of illustrations indicates that Google is taking a different approach from avatars like Snap's Bitmoji or Microsoft's Xbox avatars, which can let you make stylized representations of what you look like.
Google's new illustrations give you a wide variety of generic things and places to use for your avatar. Right now, the illustrations are only available to Android users.
Google Engineer Ievgeniia Zhovtobriukh posted the illustrations on Google Blog and said, "To give everyone more safe, creative and personalized options for profile pictures, we are introducing new Google Illustrations. Google Illustrations are a collection of customizable images that anyone can use to design the image of their choice to represent them across most Google products."
How to get an Illustration
You can see the new Google illustrations when you set your profile picture in Google Workspace and Contacts on Android. Access them easily via the Profile picture in the top right corner of the app. Browse the collection or search for a specific image to find options.
As soon as you create and save your profile picture, your friends, family and people you connect with will be able to see it across many Google products.
If you're on Android, you can set one as your profile pic in Google Workspace and Contacts on Android -- follow the steps in this GIF from Google if you want to do that. Google said it's "working on" bringing the new illustrations to iOS and web and to more products.
"For some people, there isn't an option that's a good fit for them. Access to technology, social context or privacy concerns might prevent them from using an actual photo as a profile picture," said Zhovtobriukh. The company said it's also going to expand the collection of illustrations available, so if you don't see one you like now, check back when Google has added more.
