Google Phone App Set for Major Redesign: Customizable Call Answering and Material 3 Expressive UI

The Google Phone app is on the cusp of a significant overhaul, promising users greater customization and a refreshed visual experience. This update focuses on enhanced accessibility and a modern interface, making it a noteworthy development for Android users. The redesign aims to improve user experience and align the app with Google's latest design language.

According to recent APK Insight teardowns, Google is preparing to introduce a key feature: customizable incoming call gestures. Users may soon be able to choose between a simple “Single tap” or a “Horizontal swipe” to answer calls. This is a departure from the current “Swipe up to answer” gesture and the earlier tested red/green “Decline” and “Answer” buttons, which resembled the Wear OS interface.

The option to choose between “Single tap” and “Horizontal swipe” represents a welcome move towards greater user control. The horizontal swipe option aligns with the pill-shaped UI that has been in development, allowing users to swipe left to decline and right to answer. Offering this choice will likely appear in Phone Settings, making call handling much more intuitive to the end user.

Further enhancing the user experience is the planned Material 3 Expressive redesign. An Android Authority teardown of the Phone by Google app (version 177.0.763181107-publicbeta-pixel2024) revealed visual tweaks applicable to the incoming call and in-call menus. These updates reflect Google's broader efforts to refresh the Android UI with a modern aesthetic.

The Material 3 Expressive style brings several noticeable changes, including larger contact names and caller photos. The redesign moves away from simple circular buttons in favor of larger, oval-shaped buttons that change shape when pressed. While the answer call button retains its circular icon, the end call button is significantly larger and pill-shaped. Additional tweaks include removing the "call from" text on the incoming call screen and displaying the phone number after answering a call.

The app also includes a subtle animation for the incoming caller's profile picture, adding a touch of visual flair. These interface overhauls coincide with similar Material 3 Expressive updates to other Google apps, such as Google One, Google Meet, and Google TV, signaling a cohesive design refresh across Google's ecosystem.

In conclusion, the impending redesign of the Google Phone app is set to bring significant improvements, offering users more personalized control over call answering and a visually enhanced interface. These changes reflect Google's commitment to accessibility and a modern, cohesive design language across its suite of applications. How will these changes affect your daily usage of the Phone app? Share your thoughts and expectations in the comments below!

• Android 16
• Google Phone
• Material 3