Just the oldest Google app screenshots on the Play Store

Abner Li | Jun 7 2024 - 12:30 pm PT

App store screenshots for preinstalled applications exist in a liminal space. If something is already on your phone, just open and try the software to get a feel for it. At the same time, people might be hesitant to use something they didn’t actively choose/download.

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Some Google apps do a good job of updating their screenshots on the Play Store. Others less so, and inadvertently serve as a trip down memory lane.

I’ll start with YouTube Music. These screenshots are from the 2018 relaunch of the service. 3-button navigation was still a thing back then, while using the Pixel 2 (instead of something more modern like the 2 XL) was certainly a choice. That said, it reveals a consistency to YTM in terms of core navigation, layouts, and priorities. (An update should be coming soon since the iOS captures have been refreshed.)

Speaking of navigation, there’s the 2-button layout in the Google Voice screenshots. Besides a Pixel 5, we see the pre-Material You redesign.

Meanwhile, Google Messages doesn’t reflect this year’s text box redesign or the 2023 homescreen.

For a trip further down memory lane, check out Carrier Services:

Similarly, check out Phone by Google’s — just change the name to “Google Phone” since that’s what people call it — Material Theme-era bottom bar and the old call screen that some people miss/prefer over the current simplified sheet.

While the other Google Workspace apps have modern screenshots, Google Drive does not. There’s also an appearance by a version of Gboard that integrated Google Search.

The Google Maps screenshots are looking pretty dated, while we’re waiting for two big redesigns across the bottom bar and a sheet-based layout. Then there’s the Nexus 10…

The Android Auto listing still shows the phone screen experience, RIP. Shout out to Google Allo, Hangouts, and Play Music:

Speech Recognition & Synthesis is quite dated (from Android 6.0 Marshmallow):

In terms of apps that do a good job, I’ve noticed that Google Contacts updates even small changes to the app, like the navigation drawer removal and Organize tab.