Gmail for Android new look features Material 3 Expressive containers

Google has been steadily updating its apps to align with the modern Material 3 Expressive design and interactions. Previously, Gmail for Android, its primary email client, received a subtle Material 3 makeover. With the latest update, more prominent Material 3 Expressive elements are being introduced.

Emails now list in individual containers!

The most noticeable change in the Gmail app is the introduction of containerization. Each email in the inbox is now displayed within its own container, with small gaps between items and subtle curvature for the first and last messages. As shown in the image below, the changes are more pronounced when comparing the previous version to the latest.

In addition to the above change, other notable enhancements have been made to Gmail’s overall appearance. Through these updates, Google aims to align all UI elements with the Material 3 Design language, ensuring a consistent design across its Android OS and native apps.

Other changes we noticed were:

• Visual Changes: The redesign includes borders on the screen’s sides and a unified background layer for elements like the bottom bar, hamburger button, and account switcher.
• Search Bar Update: Some users see a new search app bar, aligning with other Google Workspace apps like Drive and Keep, replacing the older joined design.
• Other M3 Expressive Features: The update adds bubbly swipe action animations and prominent Reply/Forward buttons at the bottom of emails.
• Ongoing Updates: The redesign is part of a broader rollout of Material 3 Expressive elements, with areas like the Compose screen and homescreen widgets yet to be updated.

Let us know your thoughts on the Material 3 Expressive direction that Google is taking. Also, which one of the above UI changes do you find more interesting? For us, the bubbly animation is a great change and enhances the overall interactive experience.