Android’s youthful new design will change the way you make and answer calls

Google is freshening up its Phone app with a new interface that’s supposed to make it easier to find contacts and your calls. The test is gradually rolling out to some of Google’s public beta users, and also includes some style changes that align with Android’s more youthful Material 3 Expressive design language.

For starters, Google has changed up the bottom menu bar, replacing the “Favorites,” “Recents,” “Contacts,” and “Voicemail” tabs with just three options: “Home,” “Keypad,” and “Voicemail.” Under the new Home tab, you’ll find your favorites in bubbles at the top of your screen, but it’s now followed by a call log list that no longer nests calls from the same person under one entry. That means you’ll see each call as a new entry (even if it’s your mom calling you five times in a row when you don’t pick up).

Google is also trying out a new gesture that will allow you to swipe horizontally to answer or decline a call. The company says it’s testing this feature based on feedback that this will help prevent accidental declines or answers while taking your phone out of your pocket.

Aside from those changes, you’ll also see some visual updates in the app, with the incoming call page now framing your contact in a more whimsical, lumpy circle. 

Google launched Android 16 earlier this month without including its big Material 3 Expressive redesign, which is now expected to roll out in September. It also introduced a new “Pixel VIP” widget for Pixel phones that lets you see more details about your favorite contacts, such as their location, call history, and personal notes.