Gboard rolling out M3 Expressive redesign of shortcuts on Android
9to5 Google 2026-07-21 20:55:00
Context: Gboard, Google's Android keyboard app, is rolling out a redesign of its shortcuts page, leveraging Material 3 Expressive. The update, which is part of a server-side rollout to the Gboard stable channel, version 17.7, aims to improve the user experience by reorganizing and visually enhancing the shortcuts. This redesign has been in testing since January.
Key Facts
- The previous shortcuts page layout featured a grid of small rectangular cards that scrolled vertically, but the new M3 Expressive redesign places each tool in a rounded pill with an icon followed by its name.
- The text in the new design is much larger than before, but some items, such as "Writing Tools," will still scroll, and each page will fit two columns, allowing users to swipe horizontally to see more.
- The redesign allows users to reorder shortcuts by tapping the bottom-right corner pencil icon, which leads to a "Hold and drag to customize" page with more M3 Expressive containers.
- Shortcuts in the Gboard suggestions strip will drop their containers in the new design, while the back button is replaced by a close 'x' in the top-left corner.
- The rollout of this redesign is being done through a server-side update, and users will see a "Customize your menu and shortcuts" banner once the update is applied to their phone or tablet.