Google updates the Arts & Culture icon after previous tizzy

The Arts & Culture app gained a new icon earlier this year that evoked rather strong opinions, and Google has now introduced an updated version on Android.

Version 10.1.18 for Android, which is still rolling out via the Play Store and appears to have a connection/launch issue, turns the four-color icon white and places it on a black background. This is accompanied by an animated splash screen that draws in an outlined version of the logo.

You can see the new icon in a banner on artsandculture.google.com, but the multi-colored favicon is still in use. People responded strongly to the new Arts & Culture icon when it was introduced in January. The components and colors made it very busy, if not jarring, as one of Google’s more dense logos.

Today’s update addresses one aspect, but the design of the ampersand is otherwise unchanged.

The only other black and white icon Google has today is Jacquard, which is winding down. Meanwhile, Device Utility and Chromecast built-in (on the Pixel Tablet) have gray and white icons, but you don’t really interact with either too often. There’s also Camera, Google Pixel Watch Services, and Android System WebView with shades of gray, but some blue. 

While the vast majority of Google icons are blue, red, yellow, and green, there are a number of mostly single color (and white) icons, with Play Books being the latest to get updated. Other notable examples include YouTube, Messages, Phone, Contacts, Clock, Keep, Tasks, Docs/Sheets/Slides, and Voice.

It’s not clear if people’s response led to the new icon, but another possibility is Google moving away from four-color logos for everything that isn’t a core product as a means to combat brand dilution.