Google tests a new look for dynamic color themes in Gboard

Google has been found to be experimenting with a new look for the dynamic color themes in Gboard for Android. The change is subtle, but noticeable. Instead of using three different colors for the non-letter keys, Google is testing a single color pulled from the dynamic color palette. This applies to keys like shift, ?123, comma/emoji, period, enter, and backspace, as well as the menu button.

The idea behind this change seems to be to create a more unified and less visually distracting keyboard experience. By using a single color for these keys, Google is hoping to make the keyboard feel more cohesive and less cluttered.This updated dynamic color theme is currently only available on the latest Gboard beta (version 14.7.10.x). Even then, it’s not widespread. Across several Pixel phones used for testing, the new theme only appeared on one device. This suggests that Google is still in the early stages of testing this new design and it may be a while before it rolls out to all users.

It’s worth noting that this change only affects the dynamic color themes. The “Default” themes, which only accent the enter key, remain unchanged. This gives users the option to stick with the old look if they prefer.

This is just one of many updates that Google has been making to Gboard in recent months. The company has also been working on improving the keyboard’s performance, adding new features, and expanding support for more languages.

The change seems so subtle that I’m not sure why it’s being done. However, I appreciate Google’s efforts in making the UI more appealing. I’m interested to see if this update will make a noticeable difference in my daily use of Gboard. It’s possible that this more unified color scheme could be less distracting while typing, but I’ll need to use it for a while to see if it makes a real difference. I’m always happy to see companies like Google experimenting with new design ideas and trying to improve the user experience.