Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google’s new design change for the Gboard app makes its keys much more rounded.
- The pill-shaped or circular keys have appeared for some users on the latest beta release.
- The beta release currently doesn’t offer an option for users to revert to the rectangular keys.
Google is testing a design change for the Gboard app that is not going over well with users. Over the last few hours, several disgruntled users have shared screenshots of the updated layout, which features much more rounded keys than before.
As per the images shared on Reddit and X, the design change doesn’t seem to be consistent across devices. In some cases, Gboard’s rectangular keys have been replaced with new pill-shaped keys, while for some users, the keys appear completely circular.
The new design seems to be rolling out to some users running the latest Gboard beta build (version 15.1.05.726012951-beta-arm64-v8a
com.google.android.inputmethod.latin). If you have received it on your device and don’t like the rounded keys, you can consider turning off Key borders for a cleaner look. To do so, navigate to the Theme option in Gboard settings, select a theme, and tap the toggle next to the Key borders option on the following pop-up.
While removing the key borders isn’t ideal, it’s the only workaround available if you don’t like the rounded keys. The latest Gboard beta doesn’t offer a toggle to revert to the old key shape, and it’s not immediately clear if Google plans to add one in a future release. Since the change hasn’t reached the stable channel, there’s still hope that the company may roll it back, especially considering that it seems universally disliked.
