Google’s latest design initiative for Android, Material 3 Expressive, will not be included in the initial release of Android 16. Instead, this new design language is expected to make its debut later in the year, likely coinciding with the first Quarterly Platform Release of Android 16.
Additionally, Google is focused on updating its first-party applications to reflect the Material 3 Expressive aesthetic, starting with a redesign of Gmail that is already being rolled out to select Android users. Following Gmail, Google Messages is also set to receive an Expressive update.
Reports from 9to5Google indicate that the redesign primarily affects the conversation interface. The message threads will now appear in pill-shaped containers instead of the traditional circles, and they will share the same background color as the app’s new, darker app bar, designed to distinguish it from the chat window.
Significant alterations become apparent when users tap the ‘+’ icon to access options for opening the Gallery, GIFs, Stickers, and more. Just like message threads, these options will also be presented in pill-shaped containers, featuring the same background as the contact bar at the top.
Minor adjustments, such as the incorporation of pill-shaped containers in the Emoji menu for GIFs and Stickers, further enhance the new design. Additionally, the search bar has been repositioned below the tab bar, with the Photomoji tab moving from its previous position as the first tab to the far right.
While the improvements are notable, many aspects of Google Messages are yet to be addressed, indicating ongoing work on the Material 3 Expressive redesign. Currently, Google is testing this new interface in the beta version of Google Messages (20250528_00_RC00) through a server-side update.
However, users running the latest beta may not necessarily gain access to the new design immediately. With these updates often taking time to implement, it is unlikely that the Material 3 Expressive redesign for Google Messages will be released in the near future.
Instead, it’s possible that Google might launch the revamp of its various applications simultaneously later this year.
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