Google has officially announced its visual refresh for Android, which will arrive with Android 16 and Wear OS 6. The new design language, Material 3 Expressive, is designed to deliver smooth interactions and display helpful information at a glance.
Material 3 Expressive builds on Material You and introduces a system of springy animations and tactile haptic feedback. For instance, when the user dismisses a notification, neighbouring notifications subtly shift with the movement. Swiping something off-screen will also trigger a “satisfying haptic rumble”.
A blog post by the company explained that the design update is meant to provide the user with more customisation options for a personalised experience, while also balancing modern aesthetics with improved functionality. Quick Settings can be customised to add more of the user’s preferred actions such as Flashlight and Do Not Disturb. Meanwhile, a new Live Updates feature shows real-time updates to help the user track progress notifications from specific apps such as rideshare, delivery, or navigation apps.
Other changes include updated dynamic colour themes, responsive components, as well as emphasised typography. According to Google, these visual changes will also be coming to Google Photos, Fitbit and Gmail.
For smartwatches, the redesign focuses on the round displays, with scrolling animations that follow the screen’s curvature. In addition to shape-morphing elements that adapt to smaller screens, Material 3 Expressive also brings dynamic colour themes, and glance-able buttons that stretch to hug the display. Google also reports that the update offers better performance and optimisation, with the devices gaining up to 10% more battery life.
The visual update will be rolled out to Android 16 and Wear OS 6 later this year, with Pixel devices set to receive it first. Google also noted that it is also working on more design improvements with its partners, although the company did not mention any specifics.
(Source: Google blog)
