Update, Sept 15 (3:30 p.m. ET): Google Keep to also receive Material You update.
What you need to know
- Google is updating its Workspace apps on Android with new Material You styles.
- Apps like Gmail and Google Meet will change based on the Android 12 dynamic theme settings.
- Updates for Workspaces apps are rolling out as soon as September 9.
Google announced new visual changes for its Workspace apps on Thursday, adding new Material You designs as part of the upcoming Android 12 update.
With the change comes the Google Sans font for better readability and apps will receive more rounded navigation bars with improved floating actions.
Workspace apps "[o]n Pixel devices with Android 12 or newer" will also make use of the dynamic theming system, adding background colors and accents throughout the apps based on the set background of user-choice. Fortunately, it's fairly easy to customize your phone's theme in Android 12.
Apps receiving the new visual update include Gmail, Google Meet, Google Drive, Calendar, and more. You can see what the changes look like in the images below:
Google's Workspace apps aren't the first to receive Material You and won't be the last as Android 12 nears its official launch following the Android 12 Beta 5 release on Pixel devices and some of the best Android phones.
Google notes that the updates should have already begun arriving for some apps like Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Google Drive. Meet will receive the update starting September 19 followed by Google Calendar on September 20.
Additionally, Google says that the Material You changes "will automatically adjust contrast, size, and line width based on user preferences and app context," and that certain pre-existing color schemes will not be altered.
Update, Sept. 15 (3:20 p.m. ET) ― Google Keep also being updated
Google Keep is one of the best Google apps you've never heard of and Google has just announced that it, too, is also being updated with the new Material You design.
As the company previously noted, existing color schemes for certain elements will remain unchanged, which can be noted in the above photo. The app will, however, gain access to the theming engine to make it even more colorful.
The update for Google Keep will rollout starting September 21.
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