Yes, search bars in Gmail and other Google apps have gotten bigger

If something about Gmail for Android looks slightly different, you are correct. Gmail’s search bar, along with Google Chat’s, is now bigger to comply with the latest Material 3 design guidelines.

Specifically, the bar is now taller and 56dp in height, as prescribed by the M3 guidelines for the Search component. The previous one was 48dp.

There’s basically more padding above and below the centered text, while Google appears to have altered the coloring. In our case, there’s more gray and less/no Dynamic Color.

The field appears only slightly higher up on the screen, while other content is only pushed down slightly. It doesn’t really result in a functional difference besides making for a slightly larger touch target, but it does help align with Material You’s preference for more spacious components.

Old vs. new

We first noticed this change in Gmail (version 2023.10.15.x, which still has an out-of-spec bottom bar) and Google Chat (2023.10.15.x) this week. Both are, of course, Google Workspace apps, and that bodes well for Drive, Keep, Docs, Meet, and other apps also updating their search fields in due course. Other Google apps should also follow.

Previously, more first-party applications had full-width search fields as the first thing on the screen, but Google Messages just moved away from that with its homescreen redesign, and the Play Store narrowed its field. 

Meanwhile, the Google (Search) app has an even bigger field above the Discover feed that still looks very out of place. 

Dylan Roussel contributed to this article.