Symbolic of the significant renewal brought by Android 12, Material You also represents a big challenge for Google, which now has to update all its apps to the new design language: in the case of Google Contacts, a good part of the work has already been done.
In short, after seeing the update of the beloved Google Camera under the banner of Material You, now we discover the news for a less interesting app, but just as important in the daily use of the smartphone. The adaptation of Google Contacts to the dictates of the Material You requires numerous innovations.
The first change immediately visible is represented by the search bar: the previous one, rectangular with rounded corners, gives way to the new pill. This element, together with the background and the non-circular floating action button (FAB) which is much more in relief with a stronger shadow, adapts to the Dynamic Color.
The color change is very evident in the bar and in the FAB, more subtle for the background. The tint, however, differs depending on whether the system is set to the light or dark theme.
Other elements that fit the Dynamic Color include the letters of the alphabet that organize the contacts and each contact’s page. In the latter, scrolling to hide the image of the contact, you can see the color change also of the items Call, Send SMS and Video and their icons.
The renewal of the design of Google Contacts according to the Material You also translates into the change of shape of various buttons scattered around the app: on the page to add a new contact, the Save button is now pill, while the Edit contact is rectangular with rounded corners and is resized by scrolling. On Android 12, Google Contacts also gains a redesigned splash screen, with a new animation running from the left.
How to install the latest version of Google Contacts
The update of Google Contacts according to the Material You canons is being rolled out on the Google Play Store using version 3.50 of the app, which can be downloaded by clicking on the badge here. The best way to enjoy all the news is on a smartphone with Android 12, however, the new shapes are also visible on Android 11.
