Android gets a radical new look with Material Three Expressive

Google has officially announced a new design language for Android called Material Three Expressive, after an “accidental” leak last week. The update brings a youthful and vibrant look to the operating system, featuring springy animations, bold fonts, and bright colors.

The new design language is part of an update to the Android 16 beta, which will be released later this month. It builds upon the customizable Material You design introduced with Android 12, taking it in an even more expressive direction. App designers will have access to new icon shapes, type styles, and color palettes, allowing them to create more visually appealing apps.

Alongside the new design language, Google has also updated the Live Updates feature, which is Android’s take on Apple’s Live Activities. This feature allows for time-sensitive updates to be displayed in a persistent notification bar, and is limited to food delivery, navigation, and rideshare apps. Live Updates will appear on the always-on display, lockscreen, status bar, and notification shade.

The update also brings changes to Quick Settings, allowing users to resize and rearrange tiles, similar to iOS. Google claims that the new design elements are designed to guide users’ attention better, and will appeal to a younger demographic. According to a previously leaked blog post, up to 87 percent of 18–24-year-olds prefer expressive design like Material Three Expressive.

The new design language features bright colors and bold fonts, which are showcased in Google’s concept images. The company has also emphasized the importance of haptics, with animations designed to feel more “springy” and responsive to user interactions.

Google hopes that the fresh design will attract a younger user base, although it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to win over teenagers who are predominantly iPhone users.

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