At first glance, Google’s new ‘G’ appears almost identical to the one consumers have been tapping for nearly a decade. However, a closer look reveals a subtle change: the four primary colours — red, yellow, green, and blue — now ripple into each other in a soft gradient. The redesign, first spotted on the iOS app and later in the 16.8 beta release on Android, hasn’t yet replaced the old logo everywhere. However, it has started appearing on Pixel devices and will likely spread across the broader Google ecosystem in the coming weeks.
This isn’t a radical rebrand. While the Product Sans font (used since September 2015) remains unchanged, experts say the key change lies in the nuance, with an infusion of harmony. While Google has yet to clarify whether the full ‘Google’ wordmark or apps like Maps and Chrome will follow suit, the new ‘G’ seems to signal the future — one shaped by AI.
“Subtle design changes suggest evolution, not reinvention,” says Ambika Sharma, founder & chief strategist at Pulp Strategy. “It reflects the maturing of its ecosystem as they integrate AI more deeply into every experience, especially with Gemini at the centre of that narrative.”
The AI connection is no coincidence. Google Gemini, the company’s generative AI assistant, already incorporates gradients in its logo, featuring a distinctive blue-to-purple flow. The visual similarities between Gemini and the new ‘G’ suggest an effort to unify Google’s branding around its AI-first future, while preserving the aesthetic familiarity that millions associate with its products.
“In digital environments, nuance matters,” Sharma adds. Yasin Hamidani, director, Media Care Brand Solutions, agrees: “The update signals Google’s desire to modernise its visual presence without disrupting brand continuity.”
Experts add that gradients, once banished by the “flat-design orthodoxy of the 2010s”, are back. For Google, this isn’t trend-chasing, it’s about function meeting nostalgia.
Sahil Chopra, founder & CEO of iCubesWire, says it all boils down to brand resonance. “For a generation that lives on screens, visual identity updates are what help us differentiate between what’s legit (Gen Z term for authentic) and what’s outdated. A modern-looking interface can make an app feel more trustworthy,” he points out.
And while no one is likely to download the Google app because of a logo shift, the visual refresh does show that the brand is alive and evolving.