Those new Google gradient icons are finally showing up for users [U]

Update 20/05/26 – 10:16 am (IST): The new icons are now also live on Android and iOS. To get them, simply install the latest updates for the apps on the App Store or the Play Store. Here are screenshots that show the icons on iOS and Android.

Original article published on May 18, 2026, follows:

Google has started rolling out its highly debated redesign of Workspace app icons to regular users. The gradient-heavy designs for apps like Gmail, Drive, and Meet were first spotted in late April, and people are just now seeing them go live on their accounts.

Right now, the rollout seems pretty limited. The new graphics are currently only showing up in the ‘Your favorites’ menu when you click the Google apps grid on the top right of the screen.

While the icons aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, I like the playful new approach to the designs, rather than the now-boring minimalist design language that companies across the board have been following. The new design strips away the familiar colored background containers to allow for larger, unique shapes. Gmail gets a rounder, mostly red envelope. Drive drops its red section entirely to focus on green, yellow, and blue.

Users are already divided on the aesthetic. Some people like the new distinct shapes because they are much easier to tell apart in a busy browser window. Others are not exactly thrilled.

Over on X, designer Andreas Storm posted a screenshot of the live rollout. He noted he likes some of the changes but hates the new dark outlines. One reply pointed out that the borders look like a badly removed image background.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see when the rollout expands to other areas, including app icons and so on.

Featured image edited with AI

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