To kickoff October, Google showed off the future of its products by revealing how much time they spend on the super important stuff: new icons. The new icons have brought out emotions and jokes and memes – mostly memes. The icons are, to be chill about it, weird and impossible to tell apart.
You know what, though? We’re in a good mood today, so instead of dumping on whatever it is that Google was trying to achieve here, outside of being mocked, we want to know what you love about the new icon design. Specifically, we want to know which of Google’s new icons you actually like. Which is your favorite?
Is it the colorful “M” that took over Gmail’s iconic red envelope? Is it the Google Voice or Chat icons that don’t actually match the design of the others? Is it Calendar, oh, our lovely Google Calendar? Is it the Google Maps pin…OK, not this one – everyone should hate the new Google Maps icon.
If I had to pick a favorite, I would probably go with Google Photos. Assuming this newish icon sticks and doesn’t go full Google, I think it has a bit of purposeful elegance. I like it. You?
It appears that Google shopping has remained the most consistent.
They look wonderful. I love new things and Google’s branding is refreshing. I love android because it is constantly changing, customizing and keeping up with the times. Good work google! Change is good. I like the drive icon the best
Probably Voice, because it’s quickly identifiably but still hews towards the aesthetic Google is going for.
I like the Drive icon the best.
I hate the new notification icon for gmail. it looks too much like the emergency icon…
Hangouts. I like the Hangouts icon. >.>
Icon packs for the win.
If I must pick then I guess Chat. At least it stands out, makes sense and you can find it easily.
The rest are pure color garbage and all look the same at quick glance.
I’m all for Google having some consistency between their apps, but when multiple icons are too similar to tell apart at a quick glance things have gone too far. My answer is none.
These icons are just bad. And putting them all on a white plate in order to make them round is a lazy shortcut.
I don’t like any replacement including Photos. Gmail, Meet and Maps are the worst. One exception: Drive (not great but better). The new one – TV – is nice.
Surprisingly nobody like the new Google drive which look 99% the same
I can tolerate the new Drive icon. For me, the new calendar icon is the worst of the lot.
Calendar becuse the cuurent date is indicated in the icon. I hate the Gmail app as it is hard to see on Chrome in dark mode.
I think you mean the calendar app, and I agree that’s an awesome change. I despise the new gmail icon.
Thanks for the catch. I edited my comment.
I’d like them better if Google started releasing phones in these same colors (plus black)…since we’re painting everything with the same brush now.
I wonder how many people worked on this icon project. What an absolute waste.
I bet you – a lot. And they get paid top $$$ too. Waste for sure
If I have to pick one, it’s the Podcasts icon. Why? Because I don’t have the app installed.
That said, in keeping with the spirit of the article, I choose Maps.
probably maps
What is none, Alex?
Google Keep is the only one that doesn’t look like hammered dog crap, so that wins by default.
Also, you failed to include the horrid new G Pay icon.
For those who haven’t seen it yet, here’s the G Pay logo. How one is supposed to associate that with payments or money, I have no clue. ????????♂️
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/132a147ad68420f0494a22c5a0feda3bed2dc2c735d39250f3a72ed02a1d0563.jpg
everyone carries 2 wallets folded into each other… duh 😉
Double money clips?
I thought Google Keep was actually the worst. They forgot GMail too. I really like that one.
Text (or message app) whatever it’s called. White background, green iconography. It’s clean.
None. Literally none. You mentioned the Gmail icon changing in the post and I spent a good two minutes looking for the new icon in the picture you posted at the top of the post. I finally realized it wasn’t there but couldn’t tell that immediately because the icon are bad.
same lol
I haven’t installed icon packs in a couple years; but these new Google icons had me looking thru the packs I’ve bought in the past, and thinking about reinstalling launchers or shortcut tools that use those packs.
The fact that they bothered giving Pixel Buds a logo is insane, when it’s not an app I can open and is just the device details under bluetooth.
If you’re gonna give it an icon, give me an actual, dedicated app.
It’s an app if you don’t have a pixel apparently.
I haven’t liked any of Google’s icons since they started putting icons on top of white badges. That kind of look just doesn’t appeal to me.
I can’t even find it in the image above but my LEAST FAVORITE is Gmail! My brain has been programmed for the longest time to look for that red and white envelope and now I can never find it!
if I HAD to pick one, Chat would be the one. It’s the easiest to spot and identify. It’s simple. It’s one color. But geez these new icons are rubbish. I get trying to make everything look like it’s all apart of one brand, but it’s possible to do without making them as identical as possible. I miss the Material design.
I’m probably in the extreme minority but these new icons make it super easy to identify my Google apps on my iPad.
Sure if all your Google apps are right next to each other then that makes things confusing but in a sea of other apps, it’s easier to find the Google ones.
My opinion on the worst one……keep notes….why make it so it doesn’t play nice with my circular pixel icons?!
No
They are the same icons.
HATE them but I guess the regular Google G icon is best. Just changing it to say they did something.
What I find so laughably stupid is, they decide to change the icons fine. They definitely have a theme or pattern they are following, but they can’t even follow their own theme, as 3 of them are completely different. I think that pisses me off more than the change itself. This is so Google.
I HATE the calendar icon. The best one is the Google icon bc it actually makes sense. Google One is cool. Meet should follow the same design as Chat and Voice.. I’m so confused by some of their decisions. I think anything that ties multiple services together should be multi-colored (drive, one, etc.) not calendar, tv, etc.
None. Also, wish I could change the Gmail notification icon back to the old one. I’ll get used to it, sure, but prefer the old one.
They are all horrible. It use to be you could quickly identify an app in the drawer at a glance but the jumble of the same colors requires a second look to be sure it’s the app you want
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/db01cfae7414ea306aa9309b4032d0041e90041ab79367352afcf73e2ac85f61.jpg
This is a PERFECT example.
I think all the new ones are ugly. Change for change sake.
have to pick one! it’s the law
Hard to believe but a lot of money was wasted on focus groups, meetings, design team and implementation. Just a massive waste
They’re all ugly AF! I especially hate the new Gmail notification icon. Yuck! Too many colors. It’s like a child colored these icons.
it’s been a week or more and i’m still not used to it
At first I thought I had some kind of malware installed. The Gmail notification icon has been the same for so long. I wasn’t ready for the change. Even using Google calendar at work, I’m not used to the new icon.
I bet the change Gmail notification icon from outlined to filled. It looks out of place