People are craving more expression in their tech, Google said in a leaked blog post that included a subtle dig against the aesthetic of Apple’s iPhone software design.
In a since-deleted post, Google outlined an update to its operating system called Material 3 Expressive. The tech giant described the revamped look as the “most-researched update to Google’s design system, ever.”
Business Insider was able to view the archived blog post, which was earlier reported by the online blog 9to5Google on Monday, using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. Google wrote that it conducted research studies with more than 18,000 participants around the world to develop the “beautiful and highly usable” Material 3 Expressive for Android.
The leaked post made it clear that the layout of purples, pinks, and blues is coming for the design choices of its competitors.
“When it comes to design, people really do prefer to feel something,” the post said.
Google said 46 separate research studies found that “well-applied expressive design is strongly preferred by people of all ages over non-expressive design that followed the iOS Human Interface Guidelines.”
Gen Z respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 years old showed a particularly strong preference for a more expressive style. The iOS Human Guidelines are the guidance and best practices for designing tech for Apple platforms. The iPhone maker is known for its minimalist style.
The Material 3 concept included updates that bring funky fonts and abstract themes that change up the look of apps like Gmail, a clock app, and more.
Neither Google nor Apple responded to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Despite Google’s research suggesting that young people across the globe aren’t as hyped about iOS, Piper Sandler’s 2025 survey of US-based teens found that Apple still has a firm grip on Gen Z. Out of 6,455 teens surveyed, 88% said they own an iPhone.
Based on the leaked images in the blog post, Google is going for a functional, yet playful and youthful, interface. The goal? “To move beyond ‘clean’ and ‘boring’ designs,” and connect with people on an emotional level, the post said.
Google I/O, its annual developer conference, is less than two weeks away. The company could officially announce Material 3 Expressive ahead of or during the keynote.
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