The bottom bar of the Google app gets a more modern look

It is not unusual for Google to change the design of its apps. Recently, it tweaked the look of the Google app, bringing back the Material 3 design it previously lost.

First noted by 9to5Googlethe bottom bar in the Google app has been updated to Material 3. This had adopted the design in 2023, but later switched back to the old design and now it’s back to the new look.

Previously, a tab icon would be highlighted to let you know which tab you are on. With this update, it introduces a pill-shaped indicator around the tab icon.

It appears the change is not yet generally available. You must be using the latest beta version of the app (version 15.40) to see it. The outlet recommends force quitting the app from App Info if you don’t see it yet.

This Material 3 design isn’t the only one Google is testing. We recently learned that the company is trying out a verification feature for Search. Verified companies will see a blue check mark, similar to what you see with the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) feature in Gmail.