Google app with Material Theme bottom bar, reorganized settings more widely rolling out

Abner Li | Jan 23 2019 - 12:02 pm PT

The Google app already features the Material Theme, but a revamp more widely rolling out this week tweaks additional elements. Settings and the “More” tab have been completely redesigned with menus and options reorganized for easier access.

The Google app’s bottom bar now features bolded text and icons that are in line with Google’s latest design language. A tap of the new profile icon in the top-right corner of Discover allows users to quickly switch accounts.

There are major changes in the “More” tab with a full Material Theme revamp that matches other Account-related redesigns in recent weeks. In addition to new icons, the Google Sans font is adopted, while the Google logo is centered above. Your cover image is no longer displayed, but the new style account switcher provides easier access to “Use without an account.”

Recent — which is still accessible as the fourth tab in the bottom bar — has been replaced by a “Search activity” shortcut to your My Activity page. Meanwhile, there is an accompanying “Your data in Search” shortcut below.

The next biggest change is to Settings. As we’ve previously enabled in a Google app APK Insight, all the menus have been merged and re-ordered. “General” houses the majority of settings related to Discover, Data saver, Personal search, and more.

Notifications is a link to system app settings in Android 9 Pie, while Google Assistant settings is unchanged save for a new Material Theme for the Assistant voice page. Other options include Voice, Language & region, and About.

These new features and changes are not yet widely rolled out, but more users are beginning to encounter the redesign after updating to the latest stable Google app. Oddly, it is not yet available for most 9.5 beta users. Meanwhile, version 9.0.5 also introduces rounded corners for the Google Assistant panel.