Android users receive free phone upgrade as messaging app undergoes major overhaul with two new buttons
GOOGLE chat has announced a huge design change on Android devices.
The messaging app is set to get a new “bottom navigation bar” with four new tabs – instead of the existing two – following the UI of the web version.
The previous two tabs – Chat and Spaces – will now be replaced with Home, Direct Messages, Spaces, and Mentions.
While the app’s reorganisation seems pretty straightforward, the actual design implementation is quite odd.
All the new four icons will be placed inside a floating pill just above the bottom of the screen – and a new chat icon will placed next to the pill design.
An unread badge will show up for each section as well as a unified notification count in the bottom bar.
This redesign is rolling out to Chat on Android in the coming weeks for “all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts,” according to 9to5.
It comes just days after Google teased a huge change to all Android phones that made iPhone users furious.
According to TheSpAndroid, the Google browsing app may have its search bar moved to the bottom of the screen.
This was a change that also happened to Apple’s Safari app.
It proved to be controversial at the time with lots of users complaining that they didn’t improve.
A quick search on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, revealed the frustrations of users who disliked the search bar move in 2022.
One person wrote on X: “Updating my phone was a mistake. why the hell is the safari search bar at the bottom.”
Another said: “New iPhone update moves the safari search bar to the bottom.
“Why? Why do updates love to fix things that aren’t broken??”
Another added: “Dear Apple, put that safari search bar back at the top. Stupid update.”
Google’s wild new updates come after Samsung announced a huge Android upgrade for 50 of its devices – and it is fit with a host of new perks.
Android 14 was unveiled by Google in early October when it was first rolled out to Pixel devices.
But the operating system will be rolling out to Samsung devices, under the Samsung-styled name One UI 6.0.
It’s being rolled out to different phones in stages, all the way through January 2024.
The update has already hit Samsung’s newest Galaxy phones first, including the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Owners of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 will be able to install these updates in the coming weeks.
Some of the new features included in Android 14 are a new emoji design, a major camera app upgrade and more customisation options.
Beyond that, a new button layout has brought along dedicated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icons to the top of the screen for easy access.
Samsung owners (and millions of other Android fans) will also be able to reposition the clock on their Lock screen for added customisation.
There’s a more “stylish and modern” default font, according to experts at SamMobile, that can be selected in Settings.
Pop-up windows will stay open when you navigate over to the Recents screen, so users can pick up where they left off.
Samsung owners can also enjoy a new weather widget with enhanced illustrations alongside more information about snowfall, atmospheric pressure and moon phases.
The camera app is gaining custom widgets to choose from, more alignment options for watermarks, easier video sizing options, quality optimisation and a new Auto FPS setting for brighter videos.
The gallery has been tweaked to allow for quicker edits in detail view and the ability to have clipped images and stickers.