Google introduces a gradient-styled Messages icon in beta testing

Google is testing a redesigned app icon for Google Messages in its latest beta update, version messages.android_20261030_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic. The refreshed icon moves away from the previous flat, minimalist look built on interlocking horizontal pill shapes, replacing it with a rounded speech bubble and a new blue gradient. Currently, the design is live exclusively for beta testers, while an official timeline for a stable release has not been confirmed. [1][2]

The updated look incorporates familiar shades alongside a touch of purple within a gradient glow effect, shifting the darker blue color to the rear of the emblem. It also shares visual traits with Google Chat's existing gradient styling. The change fits into an ongoing aesthetic transition across Google's software lineup, which began with Workspace apps during the company's artificial intelligence push and has steadily extended to apps like Wallet and Pixel Buds. [1][2]