Gmail for iPhone: A Fresh Material 3 Revamp

Google’s iOS apps have been slow to adopt the latest version of Material Design, with only a few apps on the platform showcasing the new design. However, Gmail for iPhone and iPad has finally received a Material 3 redesign.

The updated design features a pill-shaped search bar on the homepage, a change from the previous rounded rectangle design. Additionally, the bottom bar now uses pill indicators to show the current tab when Google Chat and/or Meet are integrated, replacing the simple icon highlighting.

The app now predominantly uses blue as the accent color, with red taking a back seat. Various shades of blue are used in different themes, whether light or dark.

On Android, Material You takes customization further by creating a “Dynamic Color” theme based on the phone’s wallpaper, offering a visually cohesive experience across first-party apps and system elements. However, this feature is not available on iOS. It would have been intriguing if Google had introduced an Account-level color picker for both platforms or synchronized it from Android to the web.

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Comparison of old and new designs

In dark mode, the “Compose” floating action button (FAB) transforms into a rounded rectangle with a vibrant blue shade. However, the hamburger menu/navigation drawer does not appear to have been updated in this release.

When viewing an email, you’ll notice that the overflow icon in the top-right corner has changed from three vertical dots to horizontal ones arranged in a circle.

Google Chat for iOS has also received the Material You update, although it already featured a floating bottom bar design. Other Workspace apps like Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet remain unchanged in this update.

Other first-party apps that have adopted Material 3 include the Google (Search) app, Maps (bottom bar), Photos, Home, Translate, and Gemini.

The Material 3 redesign for Gmail on iPhone and iPad, version 6.0.250119, was released today through the App Store.

Further Information on Gmail: