Some Material You elements make an early appearance on older Android versions ahead of Android 12 release

Although Google's new Material You look isn't expected until Android 12, Android Police reports there have been some older versions of Android that are getting glimpses and elements of the new look, in this case, on the Gboard setting menu.

Some older phones have been getting elements from Material You

As you can see on the screenshots below, some elements of the Material You redesign are showing up, for example, the rounded corners and tinted top bar. However, the Gboard itself does not yet sport the entier Material You design, so keep that in mind these are only small elements making an early appearance.

Android 12 is expected in the fall with the big Material You redesign

The Android 12 update seems to be the most interesting update for Android phones in years, with promising new features and the new look we are talking about, Material You.

The Material You look brings vibrant and playful visuals and a much-needed revamp of the Android operating system's looks. With the new redesign, the simple white backgrounds will be gone, to be replaced by a slightly tinted pastel background. The new backgrounds make text, icons, and other on-screen content stand out more, while at the same time adding a splash of color to the Android interface.
On top of that, the color palette will change automatically to reflect the wallpaper you set so you can get a coherent visual experience throughout the Android OS.

Android 12 will use a new feature called Color Extraction to automatically determine which colors are dominant and which ones are complementary, and will then paint the notification shade, the lock screen, the new volume controls, and widgets to reflect a uniform visual experience for users.

Additionally, there are new smooth animations, which also reflect the coherent feel of the fluidity of the new Material You look and interface.

Another thing the redesign is expected to bring is a change in the interface. For example, the Quick Settings panel has been streamlined, and the brightness sliders are now on top of the notifications shade in a much bolder and larger look. interface itself has been drastically changed. The notifications themselves will have a more opaque background and will bundle together when appropriate.

Google's Gboard will also be getting from the Material You smooth feel

Earlier, 9to5Google reported that Google has updated its Gboard app (the beta version for Android 12) with support for some of the Material You enhancements. There is a playful and good-looking roundness of edges in the Gboard experience, as you can see from the screenshots below:

First off, a circular "Popup on keypress" will be replacing the current rectangular one on older versions of Android. The round form factor will also appear when you long-press on the "comma/emoji" key to the left of the spacebar, again giving a uniform Material You experience. On the other side of the spacebar, holding down the "period" will be showing you an updated symbols panel.

Overall, Gboard will be seeing a sizable preferences redesign that again matches the Android 12 Settings app and the overall look of the operating system. Gboard will have a large header on top of every screen and extra emphasis on high-level toggles.

The "Theme" page is where the best part of this redesign sits. The layout remains unchanged, but Gboard will be getting much better at emphasizing the available themes. The cards will have rounded corners again, and your selection is market by a checkmark and perimeter outline