Google Phone app on Wear OS gets Material 3 Expressive redesign
9to5 Google 2026-06-16 22:05:00
Context: The Google Phone app on Wear OS has undergone a significant redesign, adopting Material 3 Expressive, a modern design language that brings a fresh look to the app. This update is available on Wear OS 6 and 7, and is part of a larger effort to modernize Google's wearable platform. The redesign aims to provide a more streamlined and intuitive user experience.
Key Facts
- The updated Phone app on Wear OS now opens to a Recents feed, featuring cards with Dynamic Color, and two large buttons at the top for accessing contacts and the dialer.
- The Dialpad has been redesigned with Material 3 Expressive containers and theming, allowing users to access special characters like *, #, and + by scrolling down.
- The Contacts app has also been updated, with a new ability to add contacts on the wrist, featuring keyboard and voice search buttons, and a refreshed layout for displaying contact information.
- The contact pages have been updated to utilize Material 3 elements, displaying the contact photo on the left with buttons to quickly call or message them, and a new layout for favorite contacts on the contact list.
- This update is available on Wear OS 6 with version 165 of the Phone by Google app, and on Wear OS 7, which is currently rolling out to Pixel Watch devices.