Tushar Mehta / Android Authority
TL;DR Gboard is getting a subtly redesigned emoji picker interface.
With this refresh, Google reverts the recent design change in beta that introduced broader buttons.
This time, the update is rolling out in the stable channel, which means it will be available to a broader range of users.
Google is constantly testing new UI tweaks or behavioral changes in its apps. Some of these changes don’t stick, especially when they are limited to beta versions of the apps. Precisely this is happening with Gboard and the minor design change that Google implemented a few months ago.
With a recent Gboard update, Google is rolling back the interface it previously introduced to the keyboard’s emoji picker. It is reverting the broader buttons for emojis, GIFs, and stickers that were added to Gboard beta in May, and replacing them with more compact ones. This appears to be a server-side switch instead of being tied to a version update.
The biggest benefit of this reversal, as 9to5Google notes, is that the backspace button has been restored to its original position. Although the design change originally appeared in Gboard beta, the current redesign is also arriving in the stable channel, suggesting these changes may be final, at least for now.
Compared to the older design in the stable version, the buttons now assume a squircle shape and have less space between them. 9to5Google also notes that the buttons may appear aligned to the left instead of being centered on some devices, lending them a slightly awkward appearance. On my devices, however, the buttons appear centered, as in the image above, and have a carousel to accessing the hidden Bitmoji button.
Old design Previously refreshed design in beta New design
Along with separate buttons for emojis, stickers, and GIFs, Gboard on specific devices now also features a dedicated button for AI-generated stickers. Gboard’s new sticker generator is powered by Gemini but is limited to the Pixel 9 series and may only be expanded to the Pixel 10 series following its anticipated launch next month.
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