Google app's bottom bar is getting a more modern look

It’s not uncommon to see Google tweak the design of its apps. Most recently, it has adjusted the look of the Google app, bringing back the Material 3 design it had previously lost.

First spotted by 9to5Google, the bottom bar in the Google app has been updated to Material 3. It had adopted the design in 2023, but switched back to the old design later on, and now it is back to the new look.

Previously, a tab icon would be highlighted to let you know which tab you’re on. With this update, it introduces a pill-shaped indicator that surrounds the tab icon.

It appears the change isn’t widely available yet. You’ll need to be on the app’s latest beta (version 15.40) to see it. The outlet recommends force-stopping the app from App info if you’re not seeing it yet.

This Material 3 design isn’t the only thing Google is testing. We recently learned that the company is trying out a verification feature for Search. Verified companies would get a blue checkmark, similar to what you see from the Brand Indictors for Message Identification (BIMI) feature found in Gmail.