As the release of Android 12 creeps closer, Google is spreading out its new Material You design language to all the corners of its software kingdom. As of this weekend, that includes the Android version of Google Docs, and its associated Sheets and Slides tools. We're seeing the staggered rollout come in from multiple sources and tipsters.

The visual change is perhaps less stark in these data-driven applications than in more directly interactive apps, like Phone or Clock. But even so, you can see the shift towards more rounded elements and subtle pastel shades. The primary search bar is now a completely rounded oval, for example, and the "add document" button in the lower-right corner ditches the Google multicolored plus icon for a flat plus. The circle is now a squircle. (I apologize to readers for using the word "squircle.")

Most Android users on the 12 beta should be seeing these changes, but some of the other Material You-sporting apps have rolled out to older versions of Android, too. So far we're only seeing basic light and dark themes, not the eye-popping dynamic system themes that are such an exciting addition to Android 12. Presumably those will be activated when we get the stable release.

  • Thanks:
  • Sam