Google News smartphone app gets limited Material You makeover
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Google’s Material You design language has been used to update several Google apps including some very popular ones such as Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Photos. Now the Material You look is coming to the Google News smartphone app. The changes include a pill-shaped indicator highlighting the tab you selected at the page’s bottom. The dynamic theming feature, which changes the color of the app’s interface to match the dominant color of the wallpaper being used on an Android device, is not working yet as the app defaults to a blue color for accents.
The tablet version of the Google News app has already been through the Material You makeover which added a navigation rail on the left-hand side with buttons for Headlines, Newsstand, Following, and For You. The same blue pill used to highlight the selected tab being viewed on the smartphone version is used to highlight the selected tab on the navigation rail.
Remember that the Material You additions to the smartphone version of the Google News app has yet to be disseminated to everyone. It did hit the Google News app running on my Pixel 6 Pro running QPR3 Beta 3 but if you haven’t received this app version, you will soon.
There is no indication from Google when the rest of the Material You features will be available to the Google News app. The app briefs you on top stories, shows you local news from your area, takes deep dives into stories with multiple perspectives, and even shows you stories based on your interests. If you want the Google News app on your Android phone, you can tap on this link to install it from the Play Store. Apple iPhone users c
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific Material You features have been added to the smartphone version of the Google News app?
Which specific Material You features have been added to the smartphone version of the Google News app?
A.
The smartphone app now includes a pill-shaped indicator highlighting the selected tab at the page's bottom. This design change brings a new visual element to the app's interface.
Q.Is the dynamic theming feature, which changes app colours based on wallpaper, currently functional for the Google News smartphone app?
Is the dynamic theming feature, which changes app colours based on wallpaper, currently functional for the Google News smartphone app?
A.
No, the dynamic theming feature is not yet working for the smartphone app. Currently, the app defaults to a blue colour for its accents, rather than adapting to the user's wallpaper.
Q.How do the Material You updates for the tablet version of Google News differ from those for the smartphone version?
How do the Material You updates for the tablet version of Google News differ from those for the smartphone version?
A.
The tablet version received a navigation rail on the left-hand side, featuring buttons for sections like Headlines and Newsstand. It also uses the blue pill to highlight the selected tab on this rail.
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