New app icons are coming to Google Messages, Contacts and Phone

In addition to presenting a A bunch of messaging featuresGoogle is rolling out new icons for the SMS/RCS app, as well as Phone and Contacts.

Update 10/22Google Contacts version 3.79.25.482243121 introduces the new app icon. It is fairly simple without shadow and white background. The themed icon is more interesting and simplifies the “body” design. It looks more distinct than the previous version.

This update has not been released widely yet Via Play StoreWhile the Google Phone app is next and presumably taking advantage of its beta program.

Update 10/21: Google is already rolling out the new Messages code with version messages .android_20221018_01_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic. It’s also live on Wear OS, and you can subscribe for it beta here.

As expected, the blue icon is placed on a light, somewhat unremarkable background. There is no animated display, which even Google Chat features, and the animations shown in Google’s promotional video do not appear today.

Meanwhile, the themed icon is better and somewhat recognizable even with its simplified logo.

New Google Messages and Contacts app icons rolling out, Phone left [U]

Original 10/20: These three icons continue to share the same pattern to indicate that they are part of the same family of applications responsible for communication. Nested message bubbles are the main driver here to represent how texting (and calling) involves at least two participants. This is similar to the green Google Chat logo.

Dark blue is used where this overlap occurs, while other shades of lighter blue are also in use. There is a false sense of shadow-derived depth — a rarity in modern Google icons — as a result.

In the case of the Google Messages icon (and to ensure continuity and user familiarity), blue is also the default bubble color for RCS (Rich Communication Services). It’s a recognizable icon, but the overlapping portion, especially in the lower left and upper right, results in a somewhat inaccurate and messy look.

Google phone, messages and contacts

Meanwhile, the new Google Phone app icon looks very nice, while contacts are clear enough, although lighter shades of blue appear to be arms rather than what is supposedly intended (people side by side).

Compared to the current set of icons, these icons may stand out less if they are placed on a light background instead of a dark blue color. In general, they are less realistic and more elegant.

Google says these icons are designed to fit other first-party apps and “each is designed to adapt to it Article topics you. “There is certainly flatness and lack of shadows as seen in Workspace icons. However, another comparison is the YouTube icon set and its simple colors.

new google phoneAnd the MessagesAnd the Contacts Tokens are rolling out over the next few weeks.