Google has been adding a dash of the Material 3 Expressive design to several apps as part of the Android 16 QPR1 beta program. These changes will presumably reach stable Android 16 Pixel users when the next Pixel Feature Drop occurs in September. The latest Material 3 Expressive sighting shows that Google is preparing to make some Material 3 Expressive design changes to the Google Messages profile page.
Found in Google Messages v20250701 beta is code that brings Material 3 Expressive to the buttons on the profile page. The buttons under the person's phone number on the profile page are changed from circles to pill or lozenge-shaped. These buttons will be highlighted and also change their shape and get wider when you press on them. When your finger is removed from the buttons, they revert back to their original size and shape.
While the code was discovered in the latest Google Messages release, it is not available yet for users even those who are Google Messages beta users. Even though my Pixel 6 Pro is running the correct version of Google Messages, it is not showing the new feature as I write this. By the way, my Pixel 6 Pro is running Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2.1. The buttons getting the Material 3 face lift are Call, Video, Contact Info, and Search.
Not all Android users have the Google Messages app installed. Some use Android messaging apps offered by phone manufacturers or other third parties. If you want to have Google Messages on your Android phone, go to the Play Store by tapping on this link.
Word to the wise. Just because Google has embedded this code inside the Google Messages app, it doesn't mean that the changes mentioned in this article will definitely be coming to Google Messages. However, it does indicate that Google has been working on such a feature. This might not be a game changer for Android users, but does fit within the Material 3 Expressive philosophy which is to make digital products like smartphones feel like an extension of the user
This is accomplished by using the visual design and interaction of Material 3 Expressive. At the same time, this design language should deliver wonderful experiences to users.