Google is no stranger to tinkering with its apps, especially when it comes to Gboard. The company’s beloved keyboard regularly plays host to subtle UI experiments, many of which quietly fade into the void before they ever reach a broader audience. One such tweak that landed in the Gboard beta earlier this year is now being quietly rolled back, as Google reverts changes to the emoji, GIF, and sticker picker (Source: Android Authority).
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New vs. beta vs. old: No more big buttons or annoying side-scrolling. Screenshots courtesy of Android Authority.
Introduced back in May for beta users, the now-defunct redesign replaced Gboard’s familiar compact buttons with chunkier, more spaced-out variants. But in what appears to be a server-side switch rather than a version-based update, Google is now restoring the more compact UI across both beta and stable channels. If you blinked, you might’ve missed it. But for longtime users, it’s a welcome return to form.
The biggest win here is that the backspace key is back where it belongs — this might seem like nothing, but it’s an important fix. In the May revamp, it had been nudged into an awkward new position that disrupted muscle memory for many users. Now, with the familiar squircle-shaped buttons making a comeback and tighter spacing between options, navigating the emoji picker feels just a little more like home.
That said, the return to the compact layout isn’t without quirks. As first noted by 9to5Google, the redesigned UI now appears left-aligned on some devices, giving it a slightly off-center look. But on many devices, the layout should appear centered, complete with a horizontal carousel for accessing Bitmoji. Your mileage may vary, but the overall experience feels more polished than the recent beta detour.
Google isn’t stopping at interface tweaks, either. Select devices — namely the Pixel 9 series, and maybe the upcoming Pixel 10s — are seeing a new button in the emoji tab: AI-generated stickers. Powered by Gemini, these fresh stickers offer a bit of fun customization, but they’re currently locked to Google’s unreleased Pixel 9 phones. Word is they may roll out more broadly with the Pixel 10 series later this summer, though Google hasn’t confirmed anything just yet.
As usual, these changes are part of Google’s iterative approach to UI and feature updates, many of which are deployed server-side without any fanfare. Whether this latest redesign sticks is anyone’s guess, but for now, Gboard users can breathe a sigh of relief — at least until the next round of experiments kicks off.
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