A small update to the Google Photos app is rolling out in the Play Store that gives a glimpse of what is going to be coming to other Google apps. The update is version 3.10.0.177481342 for those keeping score at home and functionally, you aren’t going to find anything different. What you will notice is the navigation bar at the bottom of the display.
Up until this update, the navigation bar has always been black. Now it is white. It is something that you are likely going to see more of over the course of the next few weeks as Chrome in the canary channel has a white navigation bar and the latest update to the YouTube app also sports it as does Gmail and Google Maps.
While aesthetically it is a bit more pleasing personally, there is a reason behind this change in the navigation bar. Remember the complaints about burn-in on the P-OLED displays on the Pixel 2 XL? This change is aimed to help soften it to prevent after images or burn-in.
Don’t be surprised if you start seeing virtually all of the Google apps kick over to the white navigation bar and developers to follow. Many are already there and more on on the way from Mountain View and developers, keen to stay in line with Google’s look & feel will want to mimic.
