Key findings
- Google Tasks for Android gets an updated design that offers a refined user experience with cards for tasks and a cleaner layout.
- The bottom bar is gone, leaving only the floating action button, while the three-dot overflow menu is now accessible next to each card.
- This redesign was first introduced in June and is now being rolled out to users of the stable version of the app.
Google Tasks is designed to be a one-stop shop for all your tasks and reminders, especially if you’re invested in the Workspace ecosystem. While the Tasks mobile app doesn’t get as many visual updates as other Google apps, we learned in June that a new design was planned that incorporated Material Design elements quite well. Almost two months after that reveal, Google is now rolling out the redesigned version of Tasks on Android.
As we already noticed when we first discovered it, the bottom bar has completely disappeared, only the floating action button is still visible in the bottom right corner. The change seems to be part of a server-side change in Version 2024.08.05.xaccording to 9to5Google. This redesign is also live on my smartphone.
A refined user experience
Old Google Tasks design (left) vs Redesigned version in light and dark mode (Middle and right)
One of the most noticeable changes is the use of cards for tasks, which provides enough space between them and the header. Also worth noting is that the cards are slightly darker than the background, which, as expected, becomes more noticeable when dark mode is on. Completed tasks are still minimized and are also in a card.
As we pointed out back in June, the removal of the bottom bar and its options is not a huge loss, as its actions can already be performed in the task list. The three-dot overflow menu has been moved to the top right of each card and is located next to the sorting options (two arrows).
Be sure to open Google Tasks to check if the new design is available on your Android phone. If you don’t see it yet, force-closing the app and reopening it should help. If that doesn’t work either, download the latest version of Tasks from APK Mirror.
Aside from these visual changes, Google Tasks is expected to adopt all reminders from Google Keep over the course of the next year, although no specific date has been announced. However, reminders in Keep will not disappear, and users should still be able to access and manage their reminders in the Notes app.
