Google has introduced a fresh look for its Play Books app icon on Android, along with a navigation rail specifically designed for tablets, 9to5Google reported. The new logo maintains the triangular shape but with rounded points, discarding the rectangular book element and featuring a simple bookmark instead. The background adopts an invigorating dark blue hue, while the bookmark is rendered in a lighter shade. This minimalist design departs from the previous multi-color approach and aligns with the updated icons for Play Games and Play Console.
The roll out of this new icon coincides with the release of version 2023.5.30.0.1 of Google Play Books on Android. You can already observe the updated logo on the Play Store listing and the play.google.com/books favicon. Considering that the triangle motif remains intact, it seems unlikely that Google will rebrand the app by changing the “Play Books” name. This recent icon redesign would have presented an ideal opportunity for a departure from the “Play” branding, which initially emerged primarily due to audiobook support.
In another development, Google has introduced a navigation rail for tablets in the latest app update. This rail replaces the previous bottom bar interface. Notable elements include a full-width search bar and a filter carousel that remain unchanged. However, the tablet version does not incorporate Dynamic Color theming, diverging from the design principle introduced by Material You.
Although Play Books has been one of the last apps to receive a Material You overhaul, the recent updates bring a fresh visual identity to enhance the user experience.
In another recent development, Google introduced the Reading Practice tool which is aimed at letting young and novice readers pick up reading skills as they go through the books sourced from the Play Books.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.