Get ready for a slightly different look and feel the next time you open Google Meet. Google’s popular video calling app is starting to roll out an update that brings elements of its latest design language, called Material 3 Expressive. While it’s not a complete overhaul, this update adds some noticeable visual changes, particularly on the main screen and before you join a call.
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Think of Material 3 Expressive as Google giving its apps a more modern, friendly makeover with updated shapes, spacing, and sometimes bigger interactive elements. We’ve already seen this design pop up in other Google communication apps like Gmail and Messages, and now it’s Meet’s turn, albeit with a few unique twists.
What’s New on the Homescreen?
When you first open the app, you’ll notice your past calls are now neatly placed inside distinct containers. It’s a clean visual separation that helps organize your history. The very first and last items in this list get slightly more rounded corners, adding a touch of visual flair.
For any larger cards displaying past calls, the profile picture of the contact or group you called is now bigger. This makes it a bit easier to quickly identify who you were talking to.
Google Meet app homescreen with recent calls displayed in rounded rectangular containers.
Compared to the previous look, these container changes offer a tidier appearance. However, other parts of the homescreen, like the search bar, the menu you access from the side, and the options that pop up when you tap the “New” button (the Floating Action Button or FAB), remain unchanged for now.
The Pre-Call Screen: Buttons Go Big
The most striking change in this Material 3 Expressive update appears on the screen you see right before you start or join a call. The buttons for initiating a voice or video call have grown — a lot.
These larger tap targets are certainly hard to miss! They take up a significant portion of the screen space. While bigger buttons can sometimes mean they’re easier to tap quickly, their sheer size in this redesign is quite dramatic and might feel a little out of proportion compared to other elements on the screen. Google did preview this change earlier this year, so it’s an intentional design choice.
New Google Meet pre-call screen with exceptionally large voice and video call buttons.
At the very top of this screen, the profile picture, name, and email address of the person you’re about to call are now placed together in a rounded “pill” shape, centered neatly on the screen.
To access other options, like the toggle for additional encryption or details about the meeting link, you’ll now need to scroll up on this pre-call screen. This change means the main focus is immediately on starting the call using those prominent buttons.
Original Google Meet pre-call screen layout showing contact info and call buttons.
What About During the Call?
Interestingly, the interface you see while you’re actually in a video call isn’t part of this particular rollout. That section of the app received its own refresh earlier this year. Looking back, that previous update, which introduced a new toolbar for controls at the bottom of the screen, clearly hinted at the Material 3 Expressive style that’s now coming to other parts of the app.
Current Google Meet in-call interface with controls toolbar at the bottom.
Availability
These visual tweaks to the Google Meet homescreen and pre-call screen aren’t showing up for everyone just yet. The update is starting to become available, and we’ve seen these changes appear with version 310 of the Google Meet app on Android devices. Keep an eye out for the update on your phone!
This Material 3 Expressive rollout brings a fresh coat of paint to Google Meet, focusing on clearer organization on the homescreen and a bold new look for the call-start buttons. It continues Google’s effort to unify the design language across its suite of communication tools.
