Google Messages Gets a Bold New Look with Material 3 Expressive Update

Date: August 27, 2025

Google has officially rolled out a sweeping redesign of its Messages app, introducing the Material 3 Expressive interface to give conversations a more modern, vibrant feel.

A Fresh Interface Across the Chat Screen

The update brings rounded conversation bubbles and solid-color backgrounds in both light and dark modes, moving away from the subtle wallpaper-like visuals used before. The overall effect is a cleaner, bolder presentation that puts focus squarely on the messages themselves.

Smarter, Streamlined Controls

The familiar “plus” menu inside chat windows has been reimagined. Instead of colorful circular icons, users now see pill-shaped buttons arranged in a spacious grid. Popular features such as the photo gallery, stickers, Magic Compose, and location sharing are now easier to find and use, with a design that feels less cluttered.

Media Picker Gets a Material Boost

The media picker also received a major update. A new button group at the top adapts based on what the user is doing, while the search bar has been repositioned for a more natural flow. The interface looks sleeker, even though some experimental features like Photomoji have been pushed into the background for now.

Completing Google’s Design Transition

This redesign marks the final step in Google’s broader Material 3 Expressive rollout, which has already transformed the Contacts and Phone apps. With Messages now fully updated, Google’s communication tools feel more unified and consistent across devices.

Why It Matters

Modern Aesthetics: The redesign simplifies visuals with clean shapes and solid backgrounds.
Improved Usability: The reorganized menus and contextual media controls make navigation faster and more intuitive.
Cohesive Design: Aligning Messages with other updated Google apps creates a seamless user experience.

The update is rolling out globally and is expected to reach most Android users in the coming weeks, signaling Google’s continued investment in making Messages the centerpiece of its communications ecosystem.