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.

Contact Posters iOS 17
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.
    contacts

  6. 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.)
  7. Swipe across the poster to preview a selection of filters, including black and white, duotone, and color wash in the color of your choice.
  8. 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.
  9. Now you can opt to edit the crop of your Contact Photo, choose a different photo to use, or Skip this step.
    contacts

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.

contacts
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.

Top Rated Comments

jaster2 Avatar
2 weeks ago
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?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crsh1976 Avatar
2 weeks ago

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.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
2 weeks ago
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
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JungleNYC Avatar
2 weeks ago

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! ?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lsutigerfan1976 Avatar
2 weeks ago
For those of you who say that Apple doesnt innovate any longer. How do you explain contact posters? Checkmate ppl....
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kingtj1971 Avatar
2 weeks ago

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. :)
Fair enough. I'm not the kind to attend dinner parties formal enough to require suit jackets or restaurants with coat rooms, though. (After buying the new iPhone, my budget is more Arby's or Wendy's. Heh.)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issues Likely Due to Thermal Compromises, Not 3nm Node

Tuesday September 26, 2023 9:12 am PDT by
Complaints about heat issues with the iPhone 15 Pro models are not related to TSMC's 3-nanometer node that was used for the A17 Pro chip, according to well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo says that overheating could be caused by "compromises made in the thermal system design" that allowed Apple to cut down on the weight of the iPhone 15 Pro models. Kuo says that the reduced heat...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
Mac Gaming

Apple Explains How Game Mode Works in macOS Sonoma

Wednesday September 27, 2023 2:24 am PDT by
In macOS Sonoma, Game Mode prioritizes CPU and GPU performance for gaming purposes on Macs. For those unfamiliar with Game Mode, Apple on Tuesday published a support document providing more information on how to use the new feature. Game Mode optimizes your gaming experience by giving your game the highest priority access to your CPU and GPU, lowering usage for background tasks. And it...