Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Play Store is getting a taste of Google’s Material 3 Expressive design language with colorful new icons in the search tab.
- The new icons make search shortcuts more vibrant and easier to tell apart at a glance.
- The update was spotted on version 46.5.19 of the Play Store app and seems to be a server-side change.
Google is rolling out a colorful and visually appealing update to the Play Store’s search tab. The tab now features colorful new icons instead of the minimalist blue icons Google has been using until now.
Spotted in version 46.5.19 of the Play Store app by telegram user @Leontylerz, the revamped Play Store search tab icons make search shortcuts more engaging and easier to tell apart at a glance. Unlike the older line icons, the new ones stand out with popping colors. While the icons themselves haven’t changed much, the addition of colors greatly improves their visual clarity.
This refreshed look aligns with Google’s broader shift toward the new Material 3 Expressive design language, which deeply focuses on personalization, color, and visual hierarchy. The redesign is expected to gradually spread to all Google apps and the overall Android 16 system UI.
The latest Play Store icon change appears to be a server-side update, meaning it’s not yet available to all users. As such, you may still see the blue icons in the search tab until the new look rolls out more widely.
