Back in August Google started signing out free Hangouts accounts on Android and iOS, marking the final nail in the coffin for the service. Google is encouraging users to switch the Google Chat which is one of the two apps that constitute the Hangouts replacement (the other being Google Meet). Over the last few months, Google has given a fresh coat of paint to many of its first-party apps. And now, the Google Chat app is also getting some love.

As spotted by Mishaal Rahman, the Google Chat app for Android is getting a new UI for the bottom bar that now hides all shortcuts under a button.

The old UI consolidated everything inside one large text box, with shortcuts for Gallery, Camera, Drive, Google Meet, and Calendar appearing right below the text area. As you can see in the screenshots attached below, the new UI adds a pill-shaped text box and a "+" button on the left that reveals shortcuts for Google Photos, Camera, and other services when you tap on it. Meanwhile, the gallery shortcut now appears in the right corner just behind the send button.

The new bottom bar in the Google Meet app is rolling out widely with the latest stable update. It's available on my both phones running the Google Chat app version 2021.10.31.408397499. If the update isn't live for you, you can sideload the latest APK from APKMirror.

What are your thoughts on the new bottom bar in the Google Chat app? Do you like the new design or prefer the old UI? Let us know in the comments section below.