New Gmail Material You widget lets you do a lot more from your home screen

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Gmail Logo Dark Pixel 6 Pro (Image credit: Nick Sutrich / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • An updated Gmail widget is rolling out with a few new features.
  • Users can now perform several functions directly from the widget, including archiving emails.
  • The new widget now fully supports Material You dynamic color.

Google has been busy updating its widgets following the launch of Android 12, and now Gmail is the latest to get a bit of a revamp, making it a lot more colorful and more useful for some of you that lead busy lives. According to 9to5Google, the new look is arriving with Gmail version 2021.10.31.

The most noticeable change to the Gmail widget is the improved support for Material You's dynamic color on Google's best Android phones, with a colored background and emails that are more individually highlighted. Each entry now has a button to quickly archive emails without opening the app.

In addition, the compose button now moved from the bottom of the widget to the top right corner. In its place is a new bottom bar that's visible when the widget is expanded horizontally. This gives users quick access to Chat, Spaces, and Google Meet. This switches to a sidebar when the widget is shrunken down.

You can see the differences between the old widget and the new version below, as shown by 9to5:

Image 1 of 4
Gmail Material You Widget Before

It was one of several new widgets that were teased in October, including the new Google Maps widget and others. It appears to be quite useful, making it easy to jump into certain actions without needing to open the app first.

According to 9to5, the update should be rolling out now, although our devices have yet to receive the new widget, so it may take some time to reach users.

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Derrek Lee
Derrek Lee
Managing Editor

Derrek is the managing editor of Android Central, helping to guide the site's editorial content and direction to reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are. He's been obsessed with mobile technology since he was 12, when he discovered the Nokia N90, and his love of flip phones and new form factors continues to this day. As a fitness enthusiast, he has always been curious about the intersection of tech and fitness. When he's not working, he's probably working out.