Nairobi, Kenya – Mobile phone users in Kenya have reported sudden changes to their call interface, sparking confusion and concern that phones might have been hacked. However, the culprit is not a cyber-attack but a major update to Google’s Phone app that is being rolled out globally. The new update, part of Google’s shift to its Material Design 3 (M3) language, has introduced a revamped look and feel for the dialer and contacts menus.

The redesign merges the traditional “Favorites” and “Recent” call logs into a single unified “Home” tab. Starred contacts now appear in a carousel at the top of the screen, with the recent call history listed below them. The keypad, previously accessed via a floating action button, has been relocated to a central tab with a cleaner, rounded interface. Meanwhile, the full contacts list has been tucked into a slide-out navigation drawer accessible from the top search bar, a change that initially made some users think their contacts had disappeared.

Google has also changed how users answer calls: instead of the familiar vertical swipe gesture, the update introduces a horizontal swipe or one-tap option to accept or decline calls. The company says this tweak is intended to reduce accidental answerings when pulling phones from pockets or bags.

Not all users are happy with the new look. “It took me by surprise—I thought something was wrong with my phone,” said one Nairobi resident of the interface overhaul. For those who dislike the changes, Google notes that the update is server-controlled and being released in phases, so some users may not see it immediately. Those who have the new design can revert by uninstalling updates to the Phone app via the Google Play Store, which restores the previous interface.

This significant design update reflects Google’s broader push for a consistent user experience across its apps. As the changes continue to roll out across Kenya, tech experts advise users to review update notes and not panic when familiar apps suddenly look different, as these types of interface experiments are becoming more common.