3 features that Google still hasn’t launched: Photos, Gboard

This is a list of features that Google has shown off but not yet launched. It goes a bit beyond features that are just slowly rolling out and enters the realm of possibly scrapped.

Google Photos floating bottom bar

Back in February, Google Photos for iOS rolled out a new floating toolbar. There’s a pill for Photos, Collections, and Create, while Search (or Ask) is its own circle at the right. Your current tab is highlighted with a pill indicator and accompanied by a small icon.

It looks rather nice in the context of a photo feed and would join apps like Google Chat and the new Google Finance.

Google has shown this off a handful of times for Android, with the most recent occasion being the Wardrobe launch. Instead, the Photos app remains stuck with a tall Material 3-era bottom bar. The vast majority of first-party apps have already been updated. Google Fi, Voice, and Passwords + Quick Share (powered by Google Play services) are the other holdouts at this point.

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Gboard key redesign

In March of 2025, Gboard started testing pill-shaped keys as an alternative to the rounded rectangles. They look more in line with Material 3 Expressive. It follows Google slowly redesigning various parts of the keyboard, like settings and shortcuts (not widely rolled out to stable).

Various app screenshots that Google has released since then have officially shown off the more modern key design, but it’s still not available today. The launch of Android 16 QPR1 and Material 3 Expressive last August seemed like the prime launch opportunity.

Gemini Live + Google Messages

At the end of Made by Google 2024, the ability for Gemini Live to use Google Messages to send messages was previewed. This May, Live added support for many more Connected Apps, but Messages remains missing. Giving Gemini Live feature parity with the main chat experience is a must.