Google Material 3 Expressive was revealed today at The Android Show, and it’s a big update to Android’s design style, building on Material You (Material 3) to make Android and Wear OS screens more colorful, smooth, and fun to use.
Why do actions feel so fun with Material 3 Expressive? It has a new bouncy, spring-like motion system that makes actions feel smooth and real. For example, when you swipe away a notification, it slides off with a small vibration, and nearby notifications wiggle a bit. You’ll see similar fun effects when closing apps, changing volume, or opening the notification shade, making daily tasks feel lively.
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Based on Material You’s color-changing themes, Material 3 Expressive uses richer, more varied color sets with clearer primary, secondary, and tertiary shades. On Wear OS, the theme you pick for your watch face now applies to all Google apps, giving a unified, custom look.
On Wear OS, Material 3 Expressive makes round screens better with “glanceable” buttons that fit snugly along the edges, saving space and being easy to tap. Tiles are more interactive, letting you quickly text contacts or start workouts. Scrolling animations follow the screen’s curve, adding depth and smoothness.
Google’s tests show Material 3 Expressive helps people find important buttons up to four times faster than the older Material 3 design. For instance, in an email app, the “Send” button is bigger, placed above the keyboard, and stands out with a secondary color, making it simple to spot and tap. This was proven with eye-tracking and usability studies.
Material 3 Expressive will first appear on Pixel devices, probably with Android 16 beta versions by late May 2025, with a wider release later in the year. Other Android brands might use parts of it, but their custom designs (like Samsung’s One UI) may not show the full effect. Google apps like Gmail, Photos, and Play Store will use these changes, and app developers can use Material 3 Expressive templates.
Personalization is core to Android, and Material 3 Expressive — one of our biggest updates in years — is all about making your device feel unique to you. Material 3 Expressive gives you new ways to show your style and personality, delivers smooth interactions and surfaces glanceable, helpful information,” said Mindy Brooks, VP of Product Management and User Experiences, Android Platform.
