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Google updates a Play Store feature and Nearby Share using Material You designs

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Mar 11, 2023, 12:24 AM

Google updates a Play Store feature and Nearby Share using Material You designs

It's not earth-shattering and your world is not going to change, but if you're an Android user, you should know that per 9to5Google, the Google Account switcher for the Play Store is getting a Material You update. This is Google's unified design language that takes the dominant colors from your phone's wallpaper to create the color theme on widgets, app icons, system UI elements, app interfaces, and widgets.

The account switcher on most Google apps, including the Play Store, allows the user to switch between different Google accounts that the user might have. It is usually found by tapping on the avatar found in the upper right corner of the display. The changes include the use of a lighter-colored background and a darker-colored interior body which has rounded corners after the update. The menu list hasn't changed though.

The update hasn't been completely rolled out yet as the Play Store Google Account switcher on this writer's Pixel 6 Pro (running the Android 13 QPR2 Beta) still has not been updated.

The old Google Account Switcher at left, the updated UI at right Image Credit 9to5Google

Also getting a taste of the Material You update is the Android Nearby Share feature. With Nearby Share Android users can share files and apps with other nearby Android phones using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Also noted first by 9to5Google, the Material You update adds animated shapes that expand in back of your avatar while the app looks for nearby devices. Available devices are highlighted using a Material You icon. And when you're in the midst of receiving a large file (like a video), a parade of Material You shapes continuously circle around the middle of the panel.

Updated UI for Nearby Share Image Credit 9to5Google

The Material You update for Nearby Share arrives via a server-side update alongside the latest version of Google Play Services. You could consider Nearby Share to be the Android version of the iOS AirDrop feature. To access Nearby Share on your Android phone, open the Files by Google app and tap on Nearby Share at the bottom of the screen.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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