I love the new Google Phone app, and a survey shows other Android users do too

While Google has had an incredibly hectic week with the recent launch of the Pixel 10 series, that’s not all the company has been up to. Google has also been busy overhauling its Google Phone app with a load of Material 3 Expressive changes.

Between the new home screen layouts, incoming call UI, and contact Calling Cards, the Phone app looks and feels dramatically different from what it did a few short weeks ago. It’s a truly massive update that I couldn’t be happier with, and according to new survey results, it looks like most of you are happy with it, too.

I’m someone who doesn’t spend a lot of time in the Phone app. I talk to my parents and my partner a couple of times a week and receive endless spam calls every day. Other than the occasional phone call for Chinese takeout, that’s the extent of my Google Phone usage. For someone like me, I think the new app layout works incredibly well.

One of the most significant changes is that the old Recents and Favorites pages are now merged into a new Home page. Your favorite contacts are prominently displayed at the top of the page, while your call history is listed below them.

To me, this just makes so much more sense than the old design. Now, when I open the Phone app, I immediately see my recent/missed calls and have instant access to my favorite contacts. It feels like a proper home page with everything I need in one spot.

I’m also a fan of how Google moved the Contacts button next to the new Favorites area, and I really like that the Keypad is now a dedicated page rather than a floating button. All of this makes the app feel so much better organized than before. I can get most everything done on the Home page, dial a specific number on the Keypad page, and check my voicemail on the Voicemail page. It’s clean, simple, and not overwhelming in the way the old Google Phone app felt.

In addition to the better usability, the UI refreshes also look fantastic. So much of the Material 3 Expressive design philosophy is felt with the new Phone app, and as a result, Google has managed to make something as simple as making or receiving a phone call look fresh and modern.

I already wrote about how much I like the new Calling Cards feature, but it’s worth reiterating here just how good they are. Are they lifted straight from iOS 17? Maybe. Do they add any functional benefit? Not really! But I still adore them. Not only do Calling Cards make incoming calls look better than ever, but the customization they offer fits in perfectly with Android’s ethos of making your phone truly your own.

Speaking of incoming calls, the new Decline/Answer slider is so much better than the old, horribly confusing interface. The ongoing call screen also looks fantastic, with big, expressive buttons that are easy to use and clearly defined. All of the usual call controls you’d expect are still here, but like the rest of the Phone app, the fresh coat of paint makes it all feel nicely refreshed.

Now, is it a make-or-break thing that my dialer app looks this good? No, especially for as infrequently as I actually make phone calls. But I’m still thrilled that Google put as much work into the Phone app as it did. It’s an excellent example of what a good Material 3 Expressive redesign should be like, and I really hope to see more of this from Google in its other app overhauls.

Did Google make the right call with this new Phone app?

Although this is just one Google app we’re talking about, it’s important for a few reasons. Not only is it a massive redesign for Google Phone users, but it’s also indicative of what Google is envisioning for its own apps in a Material 3 Expressive future.

While I’m certainly on board with these changes, are other people? We asked you in a recent poll, and out of the 10,000+ of you that voted, the overall consensus is positive.

About 37% of people voted for being a “big fan” of the changes, while another 28% voted that they liked “some aspects” of the redesign. Over 27% of you voted that you dislike the Google Phone redesign, and the remaining 7% voted for not caring at all.

Although opinions are somewhat split, I think this is a good sign for Google. Over 65% of people voting that they are at least somewhat happy with the new Google Phone is a pretty solid result, especially for a redesign as significant as this. As a fan of all the changes Google has made, it’s encouraging to see that so many of you also feel this way.

If you aren’t seeing these changes on your Google Phone app, they should be live soon enough. And if you didn’t have a chance to vote in our poll, I’d still love to hear your thoughts about the redesign in the comments below.