New ‘app launcher’ makes it simpler to switch between Google properties
In an effort to unify its design across the web and mobile, Google is taking on a bit of a redesign of the well-known “Google bar” at the top of many Google web properties. Gone is the (rather ugly) black bar that has propagated across its pages, replaced by a simple new button and slightly different display of your Google+ profile.
That button, which looks like a grid of boxes and follows the same design as Android and Chrome OS, is a one-click access to every Google app you interact with. Youtube, Search, Gmail, Drive, Google Play and more are all displayed in a drop-down box called the “app launcher” that quickly lets you switch between Google properties.
The changes are subtle but should help bring a more cohesive feel across apps on your mobile devices and their web components on your desktop — the black bar on the web simply felt out of place before. The new design is expected to roll out to everyone in the next few weeks.
Source: Google Search Blog