Google's much-improved app icons are rolling out now

Source: Engadget

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

Background

About five years ago, Google redesigned the icons for most of its apps and services—Drive, Meet, Calendar, and others. The internet’s response was largely negative, with many pointing out that the new icons lost the individual defining characteristics of each product. Instead, they featured a uniform outline made from Google’s signature four colors. While the outlines hinted at each app (e.g., a document shape for Docs, a camera for Meet), the icons were harder to differentiate at a glance.

New Icon Rollout

In a move toward better legibility, Google is reverting to more distinctive designs:

• It began with a deeper, more detailed icon for Google Maps, still using the brand colors and the familiar pin shape.
• A few weeks ago, 9to5Google revealed that a full‑scale redesign was forthcoming.

With Google I/O just a day away, the updated icons are now rolling out.

Personal Observations

• The first place I noticed the changes was in my personal Gmail account; the app switcher in the top right displayed the new designs.
• Some services, like Drive and Calendar, still show the older icons when accessed directly, indicating a phased rollout.
• Several Google apps on my iPhone have already received the new icons, suggesting a broader launch is in progress.

These refreshed icons are noticeably easier to tell apart at a quick glance. They also echo the redesigned 3D emoji Google introduced last week as part of Android 17 (Engadget article).

What to Expect

If you haven’t seen the new icons yet, be patient—they’re already appearing on multiple devices and accounts. More details are likely to be shared during the I/O keynote tomorrow, which we’ll be live‑blogging at 1 PM ET.