Google has drastically altered the design of the Gmail icon, ditching the envelope emblazoned with a red M and replacing it with a more simplified multi-coloured M on a plain background.
The lettering is much thicker on the new logo, which features all four of Google’s signature colours: red, blue, green, and yellow.
It follows the rebranding of Google Maps earlier this year, and comes as part of a wider product update from the search giant.
When was the last time the Gmail logo changed?
The last time Google changed the Gmail logo was in 2013, and the new design will take long-time users some getting used to.
Google says it made the change as part of a wider G-Suite rebrand – its portfolio of productivity products have now been named Google Workspace, and the iconography and colour scheme has been made consistent across the board.
’10 years ago, when many of our products were first developed, they were created as individual apps that solved distinct challenges—like a better email with Gmail, or a new way for individuals to collaborate together with Docs,’ Javier Soltero, the
vice president and general manager of Workspace wrote in a Google blog post.
‘Over time, our products have become more integrated, so much so that the lines between our apps have started to disappear. Our new Google Workspace brand reflects this more connected, helpful, and flexible experience and our icons will reflect the same.’
When will you get the new Gmail logo?
Google announced the rebrand on October 6, but the new logo is being rolled out gradually. This means it will reach users at different times.
‘In the coming weeks, you will see new four-color icons for Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Meet, and our collaborative content creation tools like Docs, Sheets, Slides that are part of the same family,’ Soltero wrote.
The new look has, however, received mixed feedback from Gmail users.
Some have complained on social media that the switch to a shared colour scheme for Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides and Google Meet is making it harder to tell the different products apart.
