Google is on a mission to give its core apps a fresh coat of paint using its Material 3 Expressive design language. Beyond just looks, this redesign helps steer your attention to the important UI elements without being too in-your-face. While this new vibe is likely to play a big role in Android 16, Google is also tightening up its overall brand feel. Part of that effort is giving Google Messages a few tweaks so it fits better with the rest of the family.
Android Authority poked around the latest Google Messages beta and spotted a fresh branding tweak in the app’s header. It lines up with the branding shake-up Google has been rolling out across its other apps.
At the moment, Google Messages shows a simple “G” up in the top-left corner. But it looks like Google is ditching the letter and going with the full “Google” branding instead, leaning into a bolder, more upfront brand presence.
It’s interesting that Google avoided sprucing up the old “G” with a splash of its signature gradient (which recently landed on the G logo), but this move isn’t all that surprising. Most of its key apps already flash the full “Google” name in the header. Messages is joining the club, making sure you don’t miss who’s behind the app.
Google’s evolving design language
While tweaking an app’s header might not sound like a big deal—and it won’t mess with how the app works— looks and layout still matter. A clean, eye-catching design can go a long way in making the whole experience feel smoother and easier to use.
That said, with the recent tweak to the Google Messages header, it’s pretty obvious Google is going for a more uniform look across all its apps.
Android Authority pointed out that this refreshed branding isn’t just limited to Pixel devices, and is also showing up on Samsung phones running One UI (pictured above). Fingers crossed the Korean company uses this update to fix the awkward blank space sitting at the top of the chat list on our beloved Galaxy phones.
