The Google Phone Contacts tab is returning to the bottom navigation bar for beta testers, reversing a change that buried the shortcut inside a sidebar menu last year.
TuttoAndroid reported October 19 that the staged, server-side rollout appears to have reached all Phone by Google beta testers, a conclusion the outlet based partly on user reports gathered online.
Stable-channel users aren't confirmed to be included yet. Earlier reporting from Android Authority still showed the tab hidden behind the hamburger menu, and no subsequent report cited here confirms a stable-channel rollout.
Here's who has the tab now, how it moved from leaked code to a reportedly completed beta rollout over the past month, and what to check if you're still waiting on it.
Who gets the Google Phone beta Contacts tab right now?
Access is currently reported among people enrolled in the official Phone by Google beta program. TuttoAndroid's reporting says the gradual server-side release appears complete across that beta pool, though the outlet based that conclusion on user reports rather than an official Google statement.
Version 243 beta, which arrived a few days before that report, didn't introduce the navigation change on its own. TuttoAndroid points to that gap as evidence Google is enabling the feature remotely rather than relying solely on an APK update.
That matters for anyone tempted to sideload the newest beta build and expect instant results. The tab appears to depend on server-side activation, and current reporting doesn't explain how Google determines availability for individual accounts or devices.
On the stable channel, Android Authority's earlier testing found just two bottom tabs, Home and Keypad, with Contacts reachable through the sidebar menu in the top-left corner. A Contacts chip sits below the search bar in that version too, but it only filters recent calls to people already saved in your contacts rather than opening the full list.
How the Google Phone app Contacts tab rollout played out
An APK teardown first surfaced the planned change when Android Authority examined beta build 240.0.986973448 and manually enabled a navigation layout that wasn't yet live. The outlet cautioned that teardown findings indicate possible features, and code sitting in a beta build doesn't always reach a public release.
Days later, Android Authority saw the tab appear live on a Pixel 9 running beta version 240, with no teardown tricks needed. That moved the finding from predicted code into confirmed live-device testing.
Frandroid picked up the limited rollout shortly afterward, describing it as still confined to certain devices and declining to predict whether, or when, it would reach the stable channel.
Line up those reports and a pattern emerges: hidden code in late September, scattered live sightings days later, and now, according to TuttoAndroid, a rollout that appears complete among beta testers. That's consistent with a gradual server-side release rather than a single app update, which explains why availability has shifted from week to week.
Where the Contacts tab sits in the Google Phone app navigation bar
When it appears, the tab slots back between Home and Keypad, restoring one-tap access to a saved-contacts list instead of routing through a menu.
Reports differ on what happens to Voicemail. Android Authority's teardown showed Contacts joining a four-tab lineup alongside Home, Keypad, and Voicemail, while Frandroid reported Voicemail losing its spot so Contacts could fit into a three-tab bar.
Android Authority has separately noted that the Voicemail tab only appears in countries where Google's voicemail feature is supported, which could explain the difference, though neither report confirms that explanation.
Whether Favorites, which disappeared in the same redesign that buried Contacts last year, is coming back too remains an open question. Current reporting doesn't establish whether Google plans to restore it.
Because the layout may differ depending on region and available features, check your own navigation bar rather than assuming everyone's looks identical.
How to get the Contacts tab in Google Phone
Google runs an official beta program for testers who want early access to changes like this one. Enrollment is optional, and Google could still introduce the restored tab on the stable channel after testing.
To check availability, open the Phone by Google listing on Google Play, look for the beta program section, and select Join if enrollment is available. Install the offered beta update, then open the Phone app and check its bottom navigation bar.
Signing up means testing unfinished changes before Google considers them stable. Anyone who'd rather skip experimental features should weigh that before joining.
Enrolling doesn't necessarily activate the tab instantly. Nearly three weeks passed between the first live sightings in late September and TuttoAndroid's October 19 report that the beta rollout appeared complete, indicating that Google introduced the change gradually.
Skipping the beta doesn't mean losing contact access. The full list remains accessible through the hamburger menu in the stable app's top-left corner.
Compatibility is worth checking too. Google's Play Store listing says the Phone app works on most devices running Android 9 or later. The listing also notes that some features are available only on certain devices with Phone preinstalled, a separate limitation from the general OS requirement. Meeting the Android 9 minimum doesn't guarantee this beta layout will appear.
Google hasn't publicly detailed this specific navigation change in the sources cited here. TuttoAndroid's rollout conclusion rests on user reports, while Android Authority and Frandroid based their coverage on APK teardowns and live-beta sightings.
What's still unknown
Neither Android Authority nor Frandroid has confirmed a stable-channel release date, and TuttoAndroid's completed-rollout claim covers beta testers only.
An official support page, Play Store update note, or direct statement from Google could clarify the timing, along with the open questions about Favorites and Voicemail's final placement. Those details remain unconfirmed in the available reporting.
What to do now
If you're not in the beta, there's no need to change how you reach your contacts. The sidebar workaround remains available, and the cited reports don't establish that Google has started a stable-channel rollout.
If you want to try the new layout, join the official Phone by Google beta program, but don't expect the tab to appear the moment you sign up. The rollout appears to be controlled server-side rather than tied exclusively to a specific app version, so even the newest beta build might not show it immediately.
Hold off on assuming this layout is headed to everyone until Google confirms broader availability. Beta sightings and third-party tracking indicate progress, but they don't replace an official statement on timing or scope.
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