- A new Material 3 Expressive redesign is coming for Android
- Google has leaked some of the updates ahead of time
- We can expect an official unveiling at Google I/O later this month
Android is getting a fresh coat of paint in the very near future, and the team at Google is apparently so excited about the visual overhaul that it’s accidentally leaked the changes ahead of time, giving us all a sneak preview of what’s coming.
As spotted by 9to5Google, the now-deleted blog post outlining the upcoming “Material 3 Expressive” changes talks about it being “the most-researched update to Google’s design system” ever applied to the software.
Google says the new look “makes you feel something”, inspiring emotion, communicating function, and helping you achieve your goals – even if those goals are just making sure your phone alarm wakes you up on time, or you can connect to the office Wi-Fi quickly.
Colors and shapes have been revamped, with key actions and navigation options now better highlighted. There are more floating elements, and more curves, and this new leak builds on some of the details that we saw at the start of the month.
Android for the people
Google is keen to emphasize that a lot of research has gone into Android’s new look, with engagement stats backing up the changes and showing how they improve usability and user satisfaction – proving that they “connect with people on an emotional level”.
A floating toolbar that pops up in certain scenarios is one of the tweaks we can look forward to, while Google has also done work to improve consistency, and to make sure related items are better grouped together on screen.
It looks set to be the biggest design overhaul for Android since Material Design was introduced more than a decade ago, though of course phone manufacturers such as Samsung and Nothing will have their own spin on this new approach.
You can see some of the visual refreshes over on 9to5Google, while Google’s own blog post has been preserved on the Wayback Machine. This will be made official very soon, once the Google I/O 2025 showcase gets underway on Tuesday, May 20.
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