Google tests new UI design for Phone app on Android – Times of India

The existing in-call design of the Google Phone app on Android 13 has an overall grid shape, is centrally placed and takes up a lot of screen real estate. This existing UI design can be annoying when your Android smartphone’s proximity sensor is not working properly and the screen remains operational while in-call. If you are using the handset mode, the phone’s display can rub against your cheek and press the buttons as the screen remains active. These accidental button presses can even end your calls.
So, to end this misery Google is testing a new in-call redesign of the Phone app on Android. Google is currently testing the new design on Pixel phones and is expected to release it for other Android devices as well.

Existing Phone app UI vs New Phone app UI
Google Phone app’s existing in-call UI design looks like this:

The new in-call UI design in the Google Phone app started appearing for some beta testers and they took to Twitter to share screenshots of the new design, reports 9to5Google. As per the report, the change seems to have appeared with Google Phone v90.0.475844574. This new version of Google Phone is reportedly avialabe in the public beta. However, this might be a server-side update, so it might appear for all beta testers in some time.

The screenshots reveal that Google is testing a new in-call UI design for the Phone app that has sunken below the screen where the cheek doesn’t usually reach. The company has also added a “bottom bar” around the circular
buttons which are placed much lower than their existing positions.

The current in-call UI shows all the options but the new UI will show just four buttons. The fourth one from the left is the More option which will open up three more options when tapped on. The other three primary buttons will be — the Keypad, Mute and Speaker options, while the options inside the More button will be — Hold, Record and Add Call.