What you need to know
- Google’s Phone app just ditched the old Favorites tab, giving the UI a big refresh.
- Favorites now live up top in the Recents tab, squeezed into a slim row instead of having their own space.
- Google also axed the “Frequents” list, so your most-called contacts are missing in the new layout.
Google just gave its Phone app a major shake-up, and in doing so, it’s quietly retiring a long-standing tab we’ve all gotten used to. The redesign is now making its way to more users, and it definitely changes how the app feels and functions.
On Google Phone version 182.0.779772896-publicbeta, the old Favorites tab has officially been axed. Now, your favorite contacts show up in a tidy row above your call history in the Recents tab. Our own Nicholas Sutrich has spotted the new layout on his OnePlus 13.
This change popped up after a leak last month. While some might see the revamped UI as a step forward, it looks like Google quietly dropped a key feature along the way.
Previously, the Phone app had a bottom tab that gave you instant access to your top contacts. Just one tap, and your pinned favorites were all right there.
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Last month’s leak displayed an “Add” button at the end of the favorites row, likely meant for quickly adding more contacts. But in the official rollout, that button is nowhere to be found.
The refreshed design leaves the bottom bar looking a bit bare, with only “Recents” and “Contacts” left standing. While the layout feels cleaner, it comes at a cost, as Google quietly dropped the “Frequents” section. That handy list of your most-called people didn’t make it into the new setup, and it’s nowhere to be found now.
Google Account page glow-up
In other news, the Google Account page on Android is getting a visual refresh, now embracing the Material 3 Expressive design language, as spotted by the folks at 9to5Google.
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Gone are the tabs across the top. Instead, everything is stacked in a single scrollable list, giving it a vibe that’s more in line with the Settings app.
Up top on the new layout, your profile picture, name, and email take center stage, and they stay put as you scroll. If you juggle multiple accounts, there’s also a handy dropdown to switch between them on the fly.
This change has been spotted on a range of devices, including Pixels and Samsung phones running Android 16 and 16 QPR1, as long as Google Play services is updated to version 25.25.33.