Key Takeaways
- Google is working on a new account switcher for its Android apps, offering a cleaner and easier navigation experience.
- The updated version takes up more space but provides a full-page view of options, also making it easier to manage multiple accounts.
- Multiple Google apps, including Keep, Maps, and Calendar, contain evidence of this upcoming change, hinting at an imminent wider rollout.
Google apps are a vital part of the Android experience. If you own an Android phone, chances are that you frequently use apps like Calendar to stay in sync with your appointments or Google Keep to jot down a quick note. Last year, we stumbled upon a makeover of the Google account switcher on the web, which was followed by a minor tweak several months later. Fast-forward to August this year, when we learned that this updated account switcher would also make it to Android. After testing it out on the Google Keep app last month, it looks like Google is just about ready to bring this account switcher to some of its other apps on Android.
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Google Calendar for Android gets a long-awaited dedicated Tasks view
No mention of iOS support for now
In a report for Android Authority, code sleuth AssembleDebug has uncovered evidence of this new account switcher in multiple Google apps, including Keep (v5.24.472.00.90), Maps (v24.47.04.699095382) Calendar (2024.46.1-697566923-release) and the standalone Google app (v15.47.26 beta). A side-by-side comparison of the old and new versions gives us a better idea of what’s actually changed.
Current account switcher in the Google app (left); The redesigned version (middle); A video of the new account switcher in action (right)
One of the primary differences between the old and upcoming versions is in the space they take. In its current form, the menu appears in the form of a floating card, whereas the updated account switcher offers a full-page view of the options, which makes it easier to navigate, but also means it’s less compact.
A cleaner account switcher for some Google apps
Current account switcher in the Google Keep app (left); The updated version (right)
As you can see above, the new account switcher menu doesn’t take up too much space in apps like Google Keep and Calendar. But the Google and Maps apps, which contain a bunch of options in the account switcher menu, may require a bit of scrolling, especially if you have the Switch account menu expanded.
With Google testing this change for a few months now, it looks like the wider rollout could begin imminently, although we can’t say when. The fact that multiple Google apps already have the necessary framework in place to accommodate this change is also a strong indicator that Google is just about ready.
You won’t be able to access the new account switcher simply by downloading the beta versions of the Google apps we mentioned above. Android Authority says they had to “manually” activate it, possibly by digging into the app’s code. Let’s hope Google doesn’t make us wait too long to see the updated account switcher in action.
