Google is updating its app icons for Photos and Maps with new gradient designs to reflect AI-driven innovation, continuing a broader redesign across Google products that emphasizes brighter hues and modernized shapes, though the exact launch date remains unclear.
Google's Pixel Watch app has been updated with a more photorealistic icon in blue and purple, aligning with Material 3 design, and introduces a new feature carousel and improved menu styling in version 4.1, now rolling out via the Play Store.
Google Chat is rolling out a new icon that reflects the central role of business messaging and collaboration in Google Workspace. The web app also features a redesigned navigation panel with dedicated views for "Home" and "Mentions." The "Home" view allows users to catch up on new activity across all conversations, while the "Mentions" view displays messages specifically addressed to the user. The side navigation panel sections for Direct messages and Spaces have also been tweaked. The updates will be available in the coming weeks for all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts.
Google Chrome is replacing the HTTPS lock icon with a "tune" icon as part of its Material You redesign in September. The lock icon has become less effective in signaling security protections, and research shows that users misunderstand its meaning. The new icon is meant to be a neutral indicator that security should be the default state in Chrome and is more obviously clickable. It will also make permission controls and additional security information more accessible. The new icon will be available on Chrome for desktop and Android, while the iOS app will remove the lock icon entirely.