An updated Material Design could appear at next Google I/O in May

The post An updated Material Design could appear at next Google I/O in May appeared first on Android Headlines.

Apr 16, 2025 - 15:46

For years, Android’s aesthetic has been truly pleasing to all audiences. The arrival of Material Design replaced the geeky look of yesterday with a more user-friendly and colorful one. Long gone are the days when blue neon lights dominated the UI of our smartphones. Now, rich animations and pastel colors are the OS’s hallmark. Recent findings suggest that Google is working on a new version of Material Design dubbed “Expressive.”

It’s been years since the last big update to Android’s Material Design. It happened with Android 12 when Google introduced dynamic color themes. The next big step in terms of the OS’s UI seems to be making everything more expressive.

A “Material Design 3 Expressive” in development spotted

Android expert Mishaal Rahman of Android Authority found clues, some very obvious, that Google is working on an updated version of Material Design under the internal name “Material Design 3 Expressive.” Currently, it is unknown whether the company will announce the updated design language under that name.

Rahman spotted an issue on the GitHub repository for the Material Components Android library where developer Michael Winkler asked about the purpose of a new theme named “Material3Expressive.” A Google engineer responded, saying, “Material is experimenting with bringing developers ways to make their apps more engaging by introducing more expressive features. Stay tuned for more updates and guidance!”

The report also mentions new code referencing an updated Material Design. When Rahman contacted Google to inquire about the updated design language, the company declined to comment.

It’s possible that the updated design lines are actually a refinement of the current version. Google is calling it “Material Design 3 Expressive,” which suggests a refinement rather than a complete overhaul. If it were a big change, it would be called Material Design 4 or something similar. We’ll probably have to wait a few years for that.

Details remain secret

For now, the design details of Material Design 3 Expressive remain under wraps. However, we might not have to wait too long to find out more. The report suggests that Google could announce it at the upcoming Google I/O. The Mountain View giant will hold the event from May 20 to 21.

Ultimately, even if Google announces Material Design 3 Expressive next month, it’s unlikely the company will fully implement it in Android 16. We may have to wait at least until Android 17 for that.

The post An updated Material Design could appear at next Google I/O in May appeared first on Android Headlines.