Google put on a Android Show Today to offer a glimpse of its upcoming interface changes with Android 16, in addition to a number of Gemini news. It did not show any new devices running the new look; Instead, Google offered advice to developers and an explanation of its overall design philosophy. This philosophy works a lot … purple.
The new material 3 expressive guidelines require extensive use of color (especially shades of purple and pink), new shapes of different sizes, new movement effects as you intervene, and new visual signals that group and contain elements on the screen.
Google says it has done more research on this design overhaul than any other design work, it has been done since it brought its material design philosophy to Android in 2014. It claims to have completed 46 studies with more than 18,000 participants, but frankly I’m not a UX designer, so I don’t know if it’s very.
Google’s material 3 expressive is the new look of Android 16
After all this work, Google has landed on this: Material 3 Expressive. The most notable features when you first get past the bright and – ahem – youthful colors are the new movement effects.
For example, when you stroke to reject a review, the object you are pushing will be clear while other objects blur a little, making it easier to see. The other messages nearby will move a little when you push their neighbor. Basically, there will be much more organic -looking movement in the interface, especially on the swipes and the control handles.
There will be new type stil species also built into Android 16 with the ability to create variable or static fonts. Google adds 35 more forms to its interface library for developers to build with an expanded range of standard colors.
Google didn’t say its new material 3 expressive design languages were targeted at iPhone fans, but the hints are there. The next version of Android doesn’t look cleaner and more organized, instead, Google wants to connect to users at an ’emotional’ level. According to Google’s own research, the group that loves this new look is most 18-24 year olds, ie. iPhone’s most unstable fanbase.
In his official blog post, Google says “It’s time to move beyond ‘clean’ and ‘boring’ designs to create interfaces that connect people to an emotional level.” This connection seems to be much stronger among young people. Google says any age group preferred the new material 3 expressive look, but 18-24 year olds were 87% for the new look.
Apple’s iPhone fanbase is strongest in this age group, if not the generation that is even younger. It makes sense for Google to make major changes to Android. In fact, this update may be due. We haven’t seen many inspiring new features in smartphones since they started folding, and foldable phones have not exactly caught on. I’m surprised that Google waited long to improve the software as there was no huge hardware innovation in the pipeline (temperature sensors, anyone?).
Material 3 Expressive comes to more than just Android -Phones
The new material 3 expressive look will not be limited to Android 16. Google says Wear OS 6 will get a similar design update, with multiple colors, movement and adaptable buttons that change shape depending on your watch view.
Carry us -watches will also be able to use dynamic color themes, like Android phones. Start with a photo or photo and wear out create a matching color theme for your watch to complement what it sees.
Even Google’s apps will start looking more expressive. Google says apps like Google Photos and Maps get an update in the coming months that make them look more like Android 16.
Google borrows a few iPhone features for Android 16, including a Lockdown mode
Google also demonstrated live updates, a new feature that borrows from iPhone to show you progress with events like an Uber Eat’s delivery. IPhone does this on the dynamic island and Google adds this feature to the top of the Android 16 screen.
Security was a major focus in the Android show, starting with new calls against calls and SMS fraud. Google secures its phones against some common scammer tactics. For example, scammers may call pretending to be from your bank and can ask you to side up an app.
With Android 16, you may not be able to disable Google’s Play Protect App scanner or sideload any apps while on a phone call. Also, you cannot authorize the accessibility features, a regular solution to get the back door’s access to a phone.
The Google app also becomes smarter about scams with SMS. It will filter scams that ask you to pay overdue toll or try to sell you crypto.
Google also enables advanced protection, its own version of Apple’s lockdown mode, on Android 16. Advanced Protection is a super high security mode that offers the highest level of protection against attack, whether over wireless networks or physically through the USB port.
Basically, if you are a journalist, a selected official or another public figure, and you believe a government is trying to hack your phone, Google’s advanced protection should completely lock your phone against threats outside.
If you don’t need so much security but you still want more peace of mind, Google is improving his old Find my device feature. Android 16 introduces Find Hub, which will be a much more robust location to track all your devices, including Android phones, wearables and accessories using ultra-win band (UWB), similar to Apple Airtags.
Google introduces new UWB capabilities to help find items nearby, and these will roll out to Motorola’s Moto tag first in the coming months. The new Find Hub will also be able to use satellite connection to help find devices and keep users informed. Plus, if you lose your luggage, Google works directly with certain airlines like British Airways to let you share your roof information so they can look for the bag they lost.
Gemini is coming to your car … and your TV … and your watch, and …
Today’s Android show wasn’t all about Android. Google also made some great messages about Google Gemini. Gemini comes to many more devices. Gemini is going to carry us -watches. Gemini comes to Android Auto and cars running Google naturally.
Gemini comes to Google TV. Gemini even comes to Google’s Android XR, a platform for XR glasses that doesn’t even exist yet (or at least you can’t buy them). For a brief moment in the Android show we got a glimpse of Google’s possible upcoming glasses.
You can talk to Gemini Live and have a conversation in your car on your way to work. ‘Hi Gemini, I need advice to ask my boss for a promotion!’ Or ‘Hey Gemini, why is my life so empty that I talk to a machine in my car when I could listen to music or a real crime podcast?’
I may sound like an AI skeptic, but Google’s own suggestions are just as dystopian. Google says that on the way to your book club you may be able to ask Gemini to summarize the book you have read for ages ago (and mostly forgotten) and suggest discussion topics. It doesn’t sound like a book club I want to join.
Google did not offer any specific timing for any of the features mentioned in the Android show and said only that these concepts would appear in the coming months. It is unusual for Google to share so much news in front of Google I/O, which takes place 20 to 21 May near its headquarters in Mountain View, approx. I will be on stage on Google I/O with our news manager Jake Krol to gather something new.
With the Pixel 9A launch that has already passed, and now Team Android wasting all prayers, I suspect that Google I/O will mostly be about AI. Google gets these little girls out of the way so I don’t waste time asking for new phones when it wants to talk more about Gemini and all the new AI developments. Or maybe, even better, Android XR News today was just a hint of what’s going to come. Keep an eye on, we know more next week!
