Google Is Testing Circular And Pill-Shaped Gboard Keys: But Do You Actually Want Them?

Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google is experimenting with a new look for Gboard on Android, introducing circular and pill-shaped keys that are currently rolling out to some beta testers.

What Happened: A Gboard beta update (version 15.1) on Thursday introduced a major visual redesign, replacing the traditional rounded rectangular keys with fully circular keys for letters and pill-shaped keys for the space bar and function buttons, reported 9To5Google.

The new design offers a more modern, rounded aesthetic, but some users have noted that it feels more cramped, especially for those who use the “Long press for symbols” feature.

See Also: Google’s AI Ambitions Spark Cost Cuts – Over 25,000 Employees Offered Buyouts as Company Focuses on ‘Speed and Efficiency’

The shift moves Gboard further away from the square key design found on most physical keyboards, aligning it more with touch-friendly mobile UI trends.

This update follows Google’s simplification of Dynamic Color theming and changes to the shortcut button in the suggestion strip. The new key shapes are currently limited to select beta users, and it's unclear if or when Google will roll them out widely.

Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.

Why It's Important: Gboard is one of the most widely used smartphone keyboards, and even small design tweaks impact millions of users.

This change reflects Google’s push toward a more modern and touch-optimized UI, but whether users will embrace the rounded keys remains to be seen.

For those who dislike the new look, Google still allows users to disable key borders in Gboard Settings > Theme.

Price Action: Alphabet Inc. Class A closed at $172.35 on Thursday, down 0.39%, but rose to $173.26 in pre-market trading on Friday. Class C finished at $174.21, down 0.45%, before climbing to $175.10 in pre-market Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Read Next:

• Google Implements Layoffs In HR And Cloud Divisions As AI Investment Accelerates: Report

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock