Material 3 Expressive deep dive: All you need to know about Android's big design upgrade

In May 2025, Google officially introduced Material 3 Expressive, the next evolution of Android’s design language, arriving after the launch of Android 16. This sweeping UI update is a significant step in Google’s ongoing effort to make Android and Wear OS more visually engaging, emotionally resonant, and interactive.

With new motion physics, component updates, fresh color schemes, impactful fonts, and more, Material 3 Expressive is poised to reshape how Android feels and functions. Here’s a closer look at what this new design direction means for Android users, what devices support it, and when it rolled out.

Material 3 Expressive: What is it, and why is Google bringing it?

Android 16’s big story is its look. Material 3 Expressive builds on Material Design, Google’s open-source design framework, and is a direct evolution of Material You (Material 3), introduced four years ago with Android 12. To be clear, this is not a new generation like “Material 4.” It’s an extension of the Material You design philosophy, not a replacement.

So why this update? According to Google, Material 3 Expressive is its most rigorously researched design refresh ever. It stems from 46 global studies, hundreds of design variations, and insights from over 18,000 participants. What emerged from that effort is that “expressive interfaces” have the power to stir emotions, convey personality, and enhance usability.

Google says that in its testing, expressive designs consistently outperformed others on attributes like playfulness, creativity, energy, and friendliness. Usability also saw improvements, with users identifying key UI elements up to four times faster in expressive layouts, making it not just a visual but a functional update.

Material 3 Expressive brings a host of UI upgrades designed to make Android feel livelier and more intuitive. Some of the key themes include:

• Springier, natural-feeling animations that enhance touch interactions.
• New icon shapes and refreshed typography.
• Background blur effects for depth and focus.
• Updated color themes.
• Home screen and Quick Settings enhancements for a more dynamic layout.
• Visual redesigns for many Google apps, bringing them in line with the new expressive aesthetic.

Before we break down everything Material 3 Expressive has to offer, let’s talk a bit about its availability.

When did Material 3 Expressive roll out?

Material 3 Expressive debuted on eligible Pixel devices running Android 16 in September 2025, with the QPR1 update. The phased rollout included the Pixel 6 and newer devices, as well as the Pixel Tablet.

In addition to this, since the design language was initially announced, several first-party Google apps received Material 3 Expressive updates that tweaked their appearance. For these apps, the redesign is not limited to Pixel devices. This part of the Material 3 Expressive design language rollout is mostly completed as of December 2025 and has included apps like Gmail, Google Docs, Chrome, Google Keep, Files, and more.

What’s new in Material 3 Expressive?

Let’s explore the new Material 3 Expressive design changes that the update brought to devices.

New animations and motion physics

Material 3 Expressive brings a new spring-based motion system that aims to make interactions more fluid, dynamic, and natural. For instance, when you dismiss a notification, there’s a smooth detach effect with a haptic rumble, and the surrounding notifications also subtly react to your swipe.

You’ll see similar effects when closing an app in the Recents screen, interacting with the volume sliders, or pulling down the notification shade. Developers can tap into these expressive spring physics using updated Material motion APIs to ensure their app transitions also feel consistent with Material 3 Expressive.

More dynamic and personalized color themes

Material 3 Expressive also refines Android’s dynamic color theming engine with richer, more nuanced color palettes that aim to improve visual hierarchy and personalization. Google says the updated system ensures clearer separation between primary, secondary, and tertiary tones, helping users better understand which actions matter the most.

By building visual contrast, the new themes aim to prevent interface elements from blending together. That said, Material 3 Expressive themes will continue to reflect custom wallpapers and preferences.

Typography refresh

Typography also got a serious upgrade with Material 3 Expressive, bringing new type styles designed to enhance user attention. Headlines and key actions are now easier to spot thanks to larger sizes, heavier weights, and improved hierarchy.

Whether you’re starting a recording or checking unread messages, the new Material 3 Expressive type styles make those interactions feel more immediate.

New shapes, transitions, and updated components

Material 3 Expressive brings a new shape library to Android with 35 distinctive options that let app developers create more diverse interfaces. Android users will see smooth shape-morphing transitions, such as a square morphing into a squircle, to provide a more fluid and interactive experience. You can see an example of this in the video embedded above.

Material 3 Expressive also carries an upgraded suite of components, including 15 new or refreshed UI elements. There will be new additions like button groups, split buttons, toolbars, loading indicators, and a floating action button (FAB). Existing elements like app bars, carousels, icon buttons, and navigation bars have also been refined with improved customization for shapes, sizes, and styles. We also previously showed you examples of new status bar icons for Wi-Fi, mobile data, airplane mode, and battery level.

Enhanced system UI: Quick Settings, notification shade backgrounds, and more

The Android system UI is more customizable with Material 3 Expressive, and the biggest example can be seen in Quick Settings. Users can now pin more controls, like Flashlight or Do Not Disturb, for faster access. Quick Settings tiles are also resizable, allowing users to pack more features into that space than ever before.

Meanwhile, the notification shade backgrounds now feature a subtle blur effect that adds depth, allowing you to stay in context while navigating your phone.

A new feature called Live Updates, which you’ve probably already seen in previews, makes it easier to track real-time progress from apps like Uber Eats or Google Maps. It puts delivery times or rideshare statuses front and center without needing to open an app.

Material 3 Expressive on Pixel Watch and Wear OS

Material 3 Expressive also made its way to Wear OS, beginning with the Pixel Watch.

Animations are now designed to follow the natural curve of the Pixel Watch’s circular display, creating a more immersive and fluid experience. Users can expect the same springy transitions and motion effects found on Android phones, helping unify the overall experience of the ecosystem.

The update also introduced shape-morphing elements that adapt elegantly to the watch’s compact form. Daily interactions, like entering a PIN or controlling media, are smoother and more responsive. Glanceable buttons now stretch edge-to-edge for easier tapping, and refreshed Tiles offer quicker access to essential features like workouts or favorite contacts.

Google also promised real performance improvements, including up to 10% better battery life with the Wear OS 6 update.

Those are the biggest updates the the Material 3 Expressive redesign brought to Android. While opinions have sometimes been a bit mixed on the new design language, when we polled our readers, the survey showed a largely positive reaction.