Google Maps and Gmail Revamp: Discover Their New Style on Smartwatches!

A significant visual transformation is underway for smartwatches operating on Wear OS. Two well-known apps have already started to showcase this new design. This is just the beginning of a broader overhaul across Google’s entire ecosystem.

Google is set to roll out its new design language named Material You Expressive, an advancement of the existing Material You used on Android. This more dynamic, colorful, and adaptable style will officially launch with Android 16 in September. However, the company isn’t waiting until then to start implementing it discreetly in certain apps on Wear OS 5, its operating system for smartwatches. The aim is clear: to standardize the appearance of apps across both smartphones and watches.

Two key applications are already displaying this change: Google Maps and Gmail. Early users have noticed these new interfaces on their Pixel Watch or Galaxy Watch. The rollout isn’t widespread yet, but the differences are already noticeable. There’s a focus on larger buttons, more prominent colors, and layouts that are better suited for small, circular screens.

Google Maps and Gmail Gradually Embrace Material You Expressive on Wear OS

In Google Maps, the updated interface features large, colorful icons, more conspicuous navigation buttons, and direct access to frequently visited addresses like “Home” or “Work”. Transportation modes are now displayed in compact badges, better suited for quick gestures on touch screens. This new look was spotted by Telegram user Hardik, who shared screenshots taken on a Galaxy Watch 4 running application version 25.23.01.

As for Gmail, buttons for actions like “Reply”, “Mark as unread”, or “Open on phone” have also undergone changes in shape and color. Some elements are enlarged, the backgrounds have become more expressive, and the overall layout is more intuitive. These tweaks align with the recent updates made to Google Keep, which has been redesigned for Wear OS with similar features.

This design aims to make the interface more readable, more accessible, and especially more consistent on circular screens. Google appears to be striving to unify all its applications with a common style, whether on smartphones, watches, or soon on tablets. These initial changes clearly indicate the direction being taken, even though their deployment is still somewhat limited.