Gboard’s Latest Design Change Leaves Users Surprised

Google’s Gboard app is testing a new design update that makes the keys significantly rounder than before. In the latest beta release, some users have noticed pill-shaped or fully circular keys appearing on their keyboards. However, the beta version does not currently offer an option to switch back to the traditional rectangular keys.

Many users aren't happy with this redesign, and over the past few hours, frustrated users have shared screenshots of the updated keyboard layout on social media. Compared to the previous design, the new keys appear much rounder than before.

Inconsistent Design Across Devices

Images shared on Reddit and X show that the new design isn’t consistent across all devices. In some cases, rectangular keys have been replaced with pill-shaped keys, while for some users, the keys appear completely circular.

The change appears to be rolling out in the latest Gboard beta build (version 15.1.05.726012951-beta-arm64-v8a) for select users. If you have received this update and dislike the round keys, you can disable key borders for a cleaner look. To do this:

1. Go to Gboard settings
2. Select the Theme option
3. Choose a theme
4. Toggle off "Key borders" in the popup

No Way to Revert to the Old Keys (Yet)

While turning off key borders is a temporary workaround, it’s not an ideal fix for those who prefer the older key shapes. The latest Gboard beta does not include a toggle to revert to the previous design, and it’s unclear whether Google plans to introduce one in future updates.

Since this change hasn’t reached the stable version yet, there’s still hope that Google might reconsider—especially given the widespread negative feedback from users worldwide.