Google's Wear OS Calendar receives updates with Expressive, Contacts, and Keep Tiles features.
Google has recently rolled out a significant update for several of its apps on Wear OS, adopting the Material 3 Expressive design principles. The redesign aims to create a more modern, spacious, and user-friendly interface across various apps, including Google Calendar, Google Messages, Google Phone (Phone by Google), and Gemini.
Google Phone (Phone by Google) on Wear OS
The redesign of Google Phone brings a comprehensive UI overhaul. The number of bottom navigation tabs has been reduced from four to three by combining Favorites and Recents into a single “Home” tab. A new “Keypad” tab replaces the floating action button (FAB). Contacts are now accessible via a navigation drawer.
Incoming and in-call screens have been redesigned with larger buttons for easier interaction. Users can now choose between horizontal swipe or single-tap for answering calls. Contact photos appear inside a flower-shaped frame, and the call screen features a modern horizontal swipe bar with a refreshed set of icons and animations. The overall interface uses rounded containers and bigger touch targets for better usability.
Google Messages
Conversation lists and message threads in Google Messages are now placed in rounded containers, creating a more distinct and modern look. The plus menu has been redesigned with all options housed in pill-shaped buttons. These updates apply to new chat, search, and settings screens, maintaining consistent Material 3 Expressive styling across the app.
Google Calendar (on Wear OS specifically)
The redesign of Google Calendar extends to calendar tiles, featuring curved buttons and themed graphics that align with the expressive style. These changes create a more colorful and visually distinct experience with greater focus on shape and dimension, reflecting Material 3 Expressive guidelines.
Gemini
While explicit detailed changes for Gemini on Wear OS were not fully outlined, it is part of the suite of Google apps receiving Material 3 Expressive redesigns. The redesign trend includes using containers, rounded shapes, and clearer visual hierarchy consistent across Google’s apps.
Other Updates
The Next tasks Tile on Google Calendar now displays name and duration details in a rounded container with themed graphics. The date is now displayed above the Next event Tile. The Google Contacts "Favorites" Tile will switch from circles to pills in an upcoming update, and the "Contact" widget on Wear OS will switch from a circular design to a larger avatar layout.
Google Keep's "Create note" Tile changes from a list design to an oval and rounded rectangle design. The "Contact" widget on Wear OS now includes call and messaging shortcuts. The Next event Tile on Google Calendar now hugs the bottom curve, and the "Calendar" button on the Next event Tile now follows the curve as well.
The updates to Google Calendar for Wear OS are version 2025.30.x. Google Calendar's M3 Expressive Tiles are widely available on Wear OS, and Gemini on Wear OS is widely rolling out.
In summary, the Material 3 Expressive redesign brings a fresh, chunkier, and more spacious UI with emphasis on rounded shapes, bigger buttons, and restructured navigation patterns that improve usability and visual appeal on Wear OS for these apps. The redesign trends towards using containers, rounded shapes, and clearer visual hierarchy, consistent across Google’s apps, tying them closer to the latest Android design language.
Technology plays a prominent role in the Material 3 Expressive redesign of Google apps on Wear OS. Google Phone now has a comprehensive UI overhaul with a keypad tab, navigation drawer for contacts, and redesigned incoming and in-call screens.
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