Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is testing two interfaces for the incoming name display within the Cellphone app.
- Customers might be able to select between a pill-based horizontal swipe UI or an iPhone-like single-tap UI for answering/declining calls.
- Nonetheless, customers might not have the selection to retain the present vertical swipe UI, which is a disgrace.
Google has been testing a redesign of the Cellphone app for some time now, primarily specializing in how customers reply or decline calls. Again in September 2024, we noticed Google working to desert the swipe actions for incoming calls in favor of dedicated accept and decline buttons, just like the iPhone. Extra not too long ago, in March 2025, we noticed Google testing one more new pill-based UI for left-right swipe gestures. Google doesn’t appear to have made up its thoughts on which UI to go together with, and that’s nice for customers, because it appears it might give them a alternative between the 2. Curiously, this alternative might co-exist alongside the Phone app’s Material 3 Expressive redesign.
An APK teardown helps predict options which will arrive on a service sooner or later based mostly on work-in-progress code. Nonetheless, it’s doable that such predicted options might not make it to a public launch.
Within the newest Cellphone by Google app v177.0.763181107 beta launch, strings point out that customers can select between the horizontal swipe gesture and the single-tap buttons on the incoming name display.
Code
answer_method_preference_list_key
Incoming name gesture
Horizontal swipe
Single faucet Whereas we couldn’t activate the present iteration of the brand new UIs immediately, we now have beforehand seen each of them.
For a recap, that is what the present incoming name UI seems like within the Google Cellphone app:
For incoming calls, you get a single button, which you’ll be able to swipe as much as reply the decision or swipe right down to reject the decision.
The upcoming single-tap button structure for the incoming name UI will presumably seem like this:
This structure is just like the incoming calls UI on the Cellphone app on iPhones presently on iOS 18, however OEMs like Samsung swap the button place on Galaxy telephones working One UI. You’ll be able to see each within the photos beneath:
The second alternative that customers might get is that this pill-based UI for the left and proper swipe gestures:
When the decision arrives, the Decline textual content is coloured pink and the Reply textual content is coloured inexperienced, whereas the telephone button within the centre animates to showcase a telephone ring. The textual content adjustments to black colour in a second as soon as the animation is finished, however the colours will be transitioned again into as soon as once more if you swipe proper to reply the decision or swipe left to reject the decision. You’ll be able to see the animation on this video beneath:
Both choice would require retraining muscle reminiscence for Google Cellphone app customers, although customers switching from iPhone to Android will welcome the iPhone-like single-tap UI. Since Google appears to be giving customers the selection, nothing is stopping the corporate from retaining the present vertical swipe and providing it as a alternative, too. We hope the corporate considers this if it certainly goes forward with the incoming name UI refresh. We don’t know if Google will achieve this, and we’ll hold you up to date once we be taught extra.
