Google Photos gets Material You redesign in preparation for Android 12

The release of Android 12s final version feels so close that you can practically smell it in the air. Google has been updating its apps with the new Material You design language one by one for the past few weeks now, and a new one has been ticked off from the checklist.

First discovered by the Telegram channel Google Pixels, the newest update of the Google Photos app has finally received the Material You design overhaul as well.

Google Photos design changes

The new version of Google Photos (version 5.59) has been redesigned to fit with the rest of the Material You theme. In other words, shapes have become more rounded, buttons are bigger, and colors match together.

To start with, the Search tab has been reshaped into a pill form. On the bottom—like before— you will find the navigation bar, which is now taller, allowing more ergonomic access to it.


When selected, a tab will appear highlighted in a blue oval shape. The Shared Album button is now larger and has a rounded square form, ditching the pill look it had in the previous Android version.

The last change that we can spot is in the Library tab, where the Favourites, Archive, Utilities, and Trash buttons have also been enlarged and given rounded corners.

The Material You design elements implemented in the Google Photos app, however, are for now just that—elements. The app is yet to receive the full treatment as it still does not support Material You’s wallpaper-based dynamic theming.

Material You in a nutshell

Material You is an integral part of Android 12 because it gives the unique characteristics that separate it from other operating systems(OS) or even older versions of Android itself.

The dynamic theming engine that Google uses is codenamed Monet, and it uses AI to match the colors of apps installed on the phone to those consisting in its wallpaper. This consequently creates a fluid organic look throughout the whole OS.

Other Google apps getting the Material You redesign:

• Gmail
• Google Meet
• Google Drive
• Google Docs
• Google Slides
• Google Sheets
• Google Calendar
• Calculator
• Clock
• YouTube Music

The official release for Android 12 is expected to be sometime in October, so even if you still haven’t received any of the new looks, know that you won’t have to wait long. Most likely, it will also coincide with the unveiling of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.