Android 12 Material You: you will get six shapes to choose from for the Google Photos widget

Android 12's Material You design has been coming to many Google apps recently in preparation for the official Android 12 stable update release. Now, the Google Photos widget is getting some Material You design shapes you can choose from, reports 9to5Google.

Google Photos widget is getting Material You shape options

9to5Google has found hints in the code for the Google Photos widget that will be implemented with a coming update. The current Photos widget comes in sizes from 1x2 to 5x5, basically, either a square or a rectangle with rounded corners. Now, six shapes will be available for you to choose from for the widget: circle, flower, pill, fill, square, and star.



The "Fill" and "Square" shapes should be similar to what we currently have for the Google Photos widget, while "Star" should pretty much be an interesting pointy shape. "Circle" is pretty straightforward as well. "Pill" is reminiscent of Google Clock's Digital and Stacked widgets. And last but not least, "Flower" should be the shape used by Google Keep and Drive for Quick Captures/Actions.

Judging by the most recent update version 7.1 to Google Clock, you should be able to "Select a frame style" for the widget after placing it on your homescreen. Additionally, if you hold down on it, it should be giving you the chance to change its shape.

Many apps have now gotten elements from Android 12 Material You

One of the most exciting aspects of the upcoming OS upgrade Android 12 is the Material You redesign which brings colors that will match your wallpaper choice, icons with more rounded corners and more visually pleasing looks, and other little design tweaks that will make the Android experience an even more visually pleasing one.


Last month, the Google Photos app itself got a Material You redesign which changed the feel and looks of the popular app. The new version of the Photos app is version 5.59, and it has been redesigned to fit with the rest of the Material You theme. In other words, shapes have become more rounded, buttons are bigger, and colors match together.

First off, the Search tab now has the pill form, consistent with other already redesigned apps, while on the bottom the navigation bar is now taller and has a more ergonomic feel to it.


The YouTube Music widget also recently got the Material You look.

Additionally, Android 12's Material You elements and redesign have now been applied to a lot of Google's apps. Google Workspaces apps, such as Gmail, Google Meet, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Google Drive have all now been updated with the new look, meaning they have rounder corners for sections, Dynamic Color (of course, if you have an Android 12 beta installed on your phone), and other design tweaks to match the overall experience of Android 12.

Android 12 stable update is coming soon

Although Google has not announced when Android 12's official stable version will start rolling out for phones that support it, it's clear that this day is now coming closer. We currently expect the new operating system to be made globally available in a stable version sometime this month. On top of the Material You redesign, Android 12 will bring efficiency improvements, more security controls, and other useful features.