When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Google's new Android design language, called 'feminine' by some, has finally dropped David Uzondu Neowin · May 13, 2025 14:50 EDT Last week, we reported that elements of Google's next design direction had leaked. Now, the company has officially announced Material 3 Expressive, its updated design system for Android and Wear OS. Material 3 Expressive builds on Material You by adding what Google calls a daring use of shape and color. It emphasizes delightful, springy animations and tactile haptic feedback to create a more engaging and emotional connection with your device. For example, dismissing a notification now causes the others to react subtly, and flinging something off-screen triggers a "satisfying" little buzz. The shade background also gets a soft blur, adding a sense of depth. The company says it's rolling out a refreshed design that includes new dynamic color options, responsive components, and more prominent typography. These design changes are also coming to Google apps like Photos, Fitbit, and Gmail. When the initial designs linked to this new language surfaced last week, Neowin readers had some strong reactions. Comments widely described the aesthetic as unappealing and overly simplistic or childlike, with one commenter calling it "feminine." Another commenter felt it looked like "Gen Z (kindergarten edition) design." Another thought was that Google had "managed to make it look even worse than the current material design" and questioned if "there's going to be an adult version without all the overly rounded corners and the silly fonts?" Despite this early, critical feedback, Google has stated extensive research backs Expressive's design choices, claiming improvements in finding key information faster. Beyond the controversial look, Google has included some usability tweaks. Quick Settings are now more customizable, allowing you to add more toggles. A new Live Updates feature surfaces real-time progress notifications, keeping things like food deliveries or rideshares visible without being buried in your standard notification list. The design updates also extend to watches. Material 3 Expressive for Wear OS focuses on the round display, with scrolling animations that trace the screen's curvature and shape-shifting elements to adapt to the smaller size. You get glanceable buttons that wrap around the display's edge and more engaging Tiles for quick information access. Google reports that this update delivers up to 10% more battery life on Wear OS 6 devices. Google plans to roll out Material 3 Expressive to Android 16 and Wear OS 6 devices later this year, with Pixel devices receiving these updates first. Tags Report a problem with article Follow @NeowinFeed Source: https://www.neowin.net/news/googles-new-android-design-language-called-feminine-by-some-has-finally-dropped/ #google039s #new #android #design #language #called #039feminine039 #some #has #finally #dropped