Google is updating the Gmail app for Android and iOS devices, implementing the new Material Theme, which was previously known as Material Design.
Gmail for the desktop first received the new look in the early part of 2018, and now the mobile version is catching up.
Mobile Gmail Gets Material Theme
Based on the sample images Google posted in a blog entry, the new design is all about the color white. That's not surprising to see, considering that this is what's been seen on other redesigned apps such as Keep and Photos.
In terms of functionality, it's pretty much the same as its previous version. The button to compose a new email in the lower-right corner of the screen is now white with a plus sign colored with red, blue, green, and yellow — Google's colors.
Most notably, the red top bar is gone. It's been replaced by a white search bar. Before, users had to click on a small magnifying glass to make a search. Switching accounts is now easier as well. All it takes is one tap on the user icon within the new search bar. In the old app, the sidebar had to be opened to access this option.
Last but not least, users can now get a preview of attachments. In other words, they don't have to open or scroll through conversations anymore to get a good look at them.
Material Theme For All
Google has been applying the Material Theme across the board, particularly for its products such as Photos, Calendar, Drive, and the web version of Gmail.
"This update is part of a larger effort to make G Suite look and act like a family of products, designed in the Google Material Theme with ease-of-use in mind. We've already updated the web experiences for Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and most recently Google Docs and Sites," Nikolus Ray, Google's product manager of Gmail, said.
What most users might be looking for in this update is any bit of news about a dark mode coming in the future. Sad to say that there's no word on the feature this time around.
The Gmail update for Android and iOS should be available "in the coming weeks."
