Google May Bring Contacts Tab Back to Phone App Navigation Bar
Android Authority reports Google is testing a change that would restore the Contacts tab to the Phone app’s bottom navigation bar, placing it alongside Home, Keypad, and Voicemail.
According to the report, the finding comes from the latest beta version of Phone by Google, version 240.0.986973448. Android Authority said its team enabled new UI changes that Google is working on for the bottom navigation bar. At present, the Phone app has only two tabs in that bar, Home and Keypad, while Contacts is tucked away in the sidebar. In countries where Voicemail is supported, the app displays a third Voicemail tab.
The new layout under development would bring the Contacts tab back to the navigation bar, potentially placing it between Home and Keypad. That would give users quick access to saved contacts. According to Android Authority, the sidebar will no longer include the Contacts option once the change rolls out.
Android Authority said it was able to make the new UI appear on its test device with some tinkering, but it is difficult to tell how close Google is to releasing the change to users. The report described the new placement as looking good and working as expected, suggesting it could be ready for prime time. It added that the change will hopefully roll out sooner rather than later.
The change relates to Google’s Material 3 Expressive makeover of the Phone app. Android Authority noted that some of the changes introduced with that makeover did not sit well with users, and that the decision to relegate the Contacts tab to the sidebar was one that particularly bothered some people.