Google Redesigns Gmail for iOS with Material 3
Google continues to roll out its latest Material Design updates across various platforms, and now it’s Gmail’s turn on iOS. The update brings Gmail for iPhone and iPad in line with Material 3, offering a fresh, modern look and feel.
Key Design Changes in the New Update
The primary aesthetic change in the new Gmail update is the shape of the search bar, which now appears as a pill rather than a rounded rectangle. This design choice is consistent with Google’s Material 3 guidelines.
The bottom navigation bar also reflects the new design, using pill indicators to denote the current tab when integrating Google Chat and/or Meet.
Color Palette and Theme Adjustments
Blue replaces red as the accent color throughout the app, adapting to different shades for light or dark themes. This change aims to provide a cohesive and visually appealing user experience.
Comparison with Android’s Material You
While Material You on Android introduces Dynamic Color, syncing the first-party apps with the user’s wallpaper theme, no such feature is available on iOS yet. Google could consider implementing a cross-platform theme synchronization in the future.
New Features in Menus and Actions
The Compose button, essential for composing new emails, transforms into a vibrant blue rounded rectangle in dark mode. The hamburger menu and navigation drawer remain unchanged from the previous design, ensuring consistent user navigation.
The overflow icon in the top-right corner of open emails shifts from vertical dots to horizontal ones arranged in a circle, aligning with Material 3 principles.
Broader Context of Material 3 Updates
This update is part of a broader strategy by Google to standardize its app designs across all platforms. Google Chat for iOS has also undergone a Material You redesign, and it already uses the floating bottom bar design.
Other Workspace apps like Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet remain untouched by this round of updates, following their own timelines.
Google Search, Maps, Photos, Home, Translate, and Gemini are among the other first-party apps that have adopted the Material 3 design language.
Getting the New Design
Version 6.0.250119 of Gmail for iPhone and iPad with this Material 3 redesign is now available via the App Store.
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