Tl; Dream
- Material 3 Expressive will come later this year to update Android’s appearance.
- Googles already have preview of these changes through announcements on I/O 2025, as well as its Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1.
- When Material 3 Expressive Finally rolls out, existing apps using dynamic color temping will automatically be able to use the improved palettes.
Google’s latest material 3 expressive design language comes to give the Android device a new new look, and with the release of Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, users already get an early taste of the big changes. Even if you are not ready to test out the development of development, there is still a lot to check out, and we have already seen many previews of what to expect when apps start responding to Google’s changes. This week at I/O 2025 we learn a little more about how this colorful upgrade comes to our phones.
So far, many of the large components of Material 3 Expressive changes have felt centered around shape and layout: How user interchangements are formed and where they are located across apps and the system itself. But because of some improvements when it comes to colors, we are also going to dynamic themes are bold when it comes to color choices, and chooses lively tones that still complement each other, but also stand out a little more.
As Google UX designer Andrew Lu puts it:
… Themes become richer and more diverse because we have upgraded dynamic color to unlock more variety and higher chromium on all color tones. It means a larger range of style and personalization for users, whether they prefer soft neutrals or juicy vibration.
Perhaps the best part here is how it is going to roll out, and LU clarifies that apps that are already utilizing dynamic themes will automatically retrieve these improved color palettes – we do not have to wait for each dev under the sun to update the code.
Sure, we still have to wait for not only Android 16 to hit stable, but probably also for QPR1 to complete the development and country as a future fall. Just know that the day when all the existing dynamic apps suddenly start to look much better, are out there, and will probably be here before you know it.