Gmail for Android has a new notification icon that matches your Dynamic Color theme. The update, which started rolling out recently, replaces the red background of the Gmail “M” icon with a color that adapts to your device’s look.
This change makes the notification icon more consistent with Material You, but it also makes it less noticeable. Many users have expressed their preference for the red icon, which was a distinctive and eye-catching feature of Gmail alerts.
The red icon also had a historical significance, as it was part of Gmail’s original branding before the Workspace rebrand in October 2020. The themed notification icon raises a broader question about the trade-off between uniformity and uniqueness in app design.
While some apps may want to blend in with the system, others may want to stand out and attract users. Gmail is arguably one of those apps that deserves some exception from the system theme.
