Google Messages is starting to receive a redesigned app icon with a gradient appearance. The updated icon has been spotted in the latest beta version of the messaging app, identified as messages.android_20261030_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic.
The change follows Google’s broader rollout of gradient icons across its apps. The company first introduced the style in Workspace applications as part of its wider artificial intelligence-focused visual refresh, before extending it to services and products including Google Wallet and Pixel Buds.
The new Messages icon retains the application’s familiar overall shape while adding elements that resemble the gradient design used by Google Chat. Its colors remain recognizable, but the gradient glow now includes a purple tone, while the darker blue has been repositioned toward the rear of the design.
For now, the redesigned icon is limited to the latest beta update. It is expected to reach the stable version of Google Messages in a future release, although no specific timing has been provided.
Sources: 9to5Google.