Google’s icons for its products have changed and evolved over the years. However, recently at I/O 2026, Google unveiled new redesigned icons that might have been its most divisive yet. If you’re wondering what was the thought process behind these icons, Google has an explanation.
Google explains its new redesigned icons
In a blog post, Google explained the decision behind its new redesigned icons. According to Google, the new look is meant to make things look more consistent and cohesive across their products. The company says, “These changes drive consistency and cohesion across our product suite, while ensuring each individual application remains modern and recognizable on your screen.”
They are also reassuring users that apart from the change in icons, core functionality and administrative controls will not change. It’s not exactly the most detailed explanation. In fact, it’s kind of brief, unlike how Google waxed poetic about its Material 3 Expressive design back in 2025.
Takes some getting used to
That being said, not everyone is a fan of these new icons. For starters, the new icons aren’t immediately recognizable. We’ve been used to the old icons for a while now, so the new icons are so drastically different that some users are taking longer than before to locate them.
Also, in the past, Google used colors from its logo to incorporate them into some icons. This includes Google Drive, which used to contain a red accent. The new icon has ditched that, going back to a much older design with a more modern take. Some users are also not a fan of the new Gmail icon, which looks way too colorful.
However, the upside is that these icons all now look very distinct from each other. This is especially true for Google’s Workspaces apps. Either way, it’ll definitely take a minute or two to get used to them, but what do you think? Are you digging the new look? Or did you think that the older designs were better?
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