[Update: Widely available] Gmail for Android revamped with Google Material Theme

Abner Li | Feb 19 2019 - 4:10 pm PT

Back at Cloud Next 2018 in July, Google previewed the Material Theme for Gmail on Android. That redesign is officially beginning to roll out today on mobile and features the company’s latest design stylings, as well as a handful of features first introduced on the web.

This mobile redesign for Android and iOS brings many of the features added to the web last year. For starters, the app is stark white with the familiar red app bar and accent removed.

Up top is a search field that features a hamburger button to the left and profile icon to the right. This latter element can be tapped to provide faster account switching then heading to the navigation drawer. The new four-colored FAB for composing messages, just like on the web, is accessible in the bottom-right corner.

One benefit to the bright design is how labels and other colors immediately standout in the conversations lists. Meanwhile, photos, documents, and other attachments will be displayed inline right in the conversations lists for quick access.

New Google Material Theme icons that feature bolded outlines and hollow interiors are leveraged throughout the redesign, while Gmail will now also display large red banner warnings for “dangerous” messages. On tablets and other large-screened interfaces, the rounded selection indicators are used to note the message you’re currently viewing.

In the grand scheme, this isn’t a radical overhaul of the Gmail mobile apps, but does a great deal to modernize it. As we reported last July, this update does feature the ability to choose between three density views, just like on the web: Default, Comfortable, and Compact.

The Google Material Theme for Gmail is rolling out to Android and iOS in the coming weeks.

Update 2/19: Announced three weeks ago, Gmail for Android’s Google Material Theme is now widely available this evening. The redesign has been gradually rolling out since January 29th, with version 9.1.13 now available to all users. Refresh the Play Store’s Updates tab or visit the app listing directly to install.