On Tuesday, during the Android Show ahead of Google I/O, Google unveiled its new design style for Android: Material 3 Expressive. According to the company, the update is intended to make phones more personal.
Material 3 Expressive introduces new animations. For example, when you swipe away a notification, a detachment effect appears, accompanied by a vibration. Users also get these animations and haptic feedback when closing apps from the overview screen, adjusting the volume, or opening the notification window.
In addition, the background is slightly blurred to create depth. This helps users maintain context while navigating.
According to Mindy Brooks, vice president of Product and UX for the Android platform, Google is building on the 2021 Material You design principle with Material 3 Expressive. This new style introduces additional elements and capabilities designed to deliver a richer experience, focusing more on emotion in design.
Android will also get more extensive theme options with dynamic colors and more emphatic typography, allowing users to tailor their device to their personal style better. These visual settings will also be extended to Google apps such as Photos and Gmail.
Another new feature is Live Updates, which allows you to better track the progress of notifications in real time. For example, when ordering through Uber Eats, you can quickly check the status without switching apps. This is similar to Apple’s Live Activities feature in iOS.
All new design updates will first be available for Pixel devices with the arrival of Android 16.
Design style also for Wear OS
Wear OS watches will also feature Material 3 Expressive, including smoother scroll animations that match the round screen.
Smoother transitions and haptic feedback will be present in everyday interactions, such as entering a PIN or controlling media. Color themes will be applied dynamically, extending the chosen watch face theme to the entire system.
The so-called Tiles will also become more interactive, giving you faster access to actions such as sending a message to your favorite contact or starting a workout.
These improvements will first appear later this year on the Pixel Watch with the introduction of Wear OS 6.