Android phones are getting Material 3 Expressive sooner than we thought

When Google unveiled Android 16 recently, most of the attention was heaped on a new design language that's going to refresh phones, rather than the new features that the updated software brings.

However, although Material 3 Expressive is part of Android 16, it's rolling out separately. And gradually, it seems.

We've already seen it appearing in the Messages app for some users and now it's appeared in the Phone app, too.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the updated design has appeared in the Phone by Google app, but it's not for all users at the moment – it's only for those on the beta. It's easy to get to the beta, you just have to tap the option in the Play Store, but you also need to be aware that it will be updated to an incomplete app, so might not be completely stable.

The new Material 3 Expressive design brings a number of changes to the overall aesthetic of the Phone app, switching outlined buttons for solid variants, putting things into boxes rather than it just being a list on the page. That means the settings are more distinctive, as is the list of recent or suggested contacts.

The design refresh changes the incoming call screen too. Now, rather than just showing a contact's image, it's in a scalloped shape which rotates.

In fitting with Material 3 Expressive's aims, the design changes are there to make things easier and more obvious. That includes changing pill-shaped buttons to squared corners when selected and so on.

When will Material 3 Expressive land on my phone?

The big question that everyone is asking is "when will Material 3 Expressive arrive?" Many thought that it would be part of the public Android 16 rollout, but that hasn't proved the case.

It's clear that Google is testing the new design language across a number of different apps, but the big push to update the entirety of Android 16 is scheduled for a later date.

I have a suspicion that Google is going to save this for the launch of the Pixel 10 phones, as it will give its new devices a fresh look. Currently, those phones are expected to be announced in late August.

It's likely that Material 3 Expressive will land as an update to Android 16 and as updates to each individual app. For those using a Pixel phone, everything will match, but there's a chance that if you're using a different phone, like a Samsung, then you might not get the whole experience.

Because of the customisation that most Android manufacturers apply to their phones, there's a chance that there will be a bigger delay while they figure out how to incorporate Material 3 Expressive into their own skin, while stock Android apps will update direct from the Play Store.