Material 3 Expressive is here, and it’s my favorite Android update ever. Google managed to marry function and form in a revamped UI that subtly improved nearly every part of the Android experience.
Google has gone into great detail about the development of Material 3 Expressive.
Phrases like “emotionally impactful UX” and “styles that connect emotionally with their users” from Google’s update announcement carry more weight than most of its blog posts, as I can instantly feel the emotional satisfaction of using the update.
However, Material 3 Expressive won’t last. Progress is everything; statements like “the biggest update in years” are meaningless when said by Google.
We know that the next redesign will be touted as a huge step forward, but for once, Google, leave Material 3 Expressive alone. There’s so much more it can do without upending the user experience.
It’s time for Google to make practical improvements
Google should dial in on features now
Part of why I was so excited about Material 3 Expressive is that it is the antithesis of the AI slop Google has shoved onto our phones. I was exhausted by features that made no meaningful improvements to the Android experience.
Material 3 Expressive is the first update in years that has changed my experience with Android for the better. Now I want Google to start delving into improving the features of Android.
Android 16 introduced small quality-of-life features that improved or fixed various pain points the AP team had with Android. It’s a great update, but I think Google needs to double down on these efforts.
Widget stacks, more font options, a core Android/PC syncing app, the full release of themed icons (yes, they’re still in beta), a revamped Play Store, widgets on the lock screen, and more.
These are all features we at AP have wished for Android, but I don’t actually want Google to introduce them all.
What I want is the same attention to detail and care that Google put into Material 3 Expressive.
In its blog posts, Google talks about how it ensured the redesign would improve the user experience through extensive user research. Where’s that attention to detail for the rest of Android?
Ticking off all the items on my Android wishlist would be wonderful, but this is a fantasy.
What is realistic is expecting Google to approach each element of Android with the same care and attention. But if there’s one thing I care about more than UI or features, it’s device compatibility.
Improve communication between Android devices from different OEMs
Let us build the Android ecosystem of our dreams
Android’s open source ecosystem is its Achilles’ heel. While Android users are lucky to have an enormous range of devices to choose from, the implied cross-compatibility is nowhere near as strong as it seems.
I’ve stuck with the Pixel ecosystem for years, not because I think Pixel devices are the best, but because I don’t need to worry about compatibility issues. I’m not talking about proprietary apps like Pixel Recorder or Good Lock, but basic features that should be universal across every Android device.
For example, it’s time for an overhaul of how call logs and messages are backed up and transferred between different Android phones.
Switching between Android phones is a process filled with exceptions and unreliable tools; it needs a revamp.
Notification settings also need to be redone when you switch phones, which is annoying when you’ve spent a while finetuning Android’s excellent notification channels.
I also appreciate the way Google is incorporating Material 3 Expressive into Wear OS, but the update won’t make me use my smartwatch more.
I’m tired of how Wear OS devices restrict features if you don’t use them with a phone from the same ecosystem. I’m not expecting a perfect match, but come on, let’s at least sync Do Not Disturb settings.
Google needs to raise the bar for what should be universal across every Android device.
Switching to a new device should involve a careful weighing up of what exclusive features it offers, not hours of research into which Android settings won’t sync.
Material 3 Expressive is an example of great development from Google
But can it keep up the effort?
What impresses me most about Material 3 Expressive is that I didn’t have to rethink how I used my Android phone. I do the same things I always did, but it’s more satisfying, easier to do, and more fun.
It’s the opposite approach to how Google forces Gemini on us. Every time a new Gemini feature drops on my phone, I have to rack my brain to figure out how to use it. Here, Google isn’t solving problems; it’s creating new ones.
If Google can approach Android 17 in the same way it did with Material 3 Expressive, we could enter another golden age of Android. I’m begging you, Google, listen to your users; Material 3 Expressive proves it works.
