When Google Sans rolled out in 2018, designers were initially ecstatic. “It meant we could finally use typography for a stronger brand statement,” recalls UX Designer Miche Alvarez. “But it also created a dual-font system using Google Sans for larger display text and Roboto for smaller text. It ended up being a compromise.”
Designers fought for a Google Sans version that would work at smaller sizes. So the team collaborated with designers in Search and at Colophon Foundry to refine the font, ultimately launching Google Sans Text (GST) in 2020.
Unlike the geometric Google Sans, the characters in Google Sans Text are taller, more condensed, and less circular. The typeface also includes more spacing between characters to aid readability. The numerals are less geometric, and the angled cuts on terminals are less severe, creating a more uniform and readable experience, even at small sizes. It was also designed to match the proportions of Roboto, Android’s default typeface, to make switching from Roboto a smoother process.
Google Sans Text rolled out on the Pixel 3, creating a more unified typographic experience.
Google Sans Mono was created in 2020 to support contexts that needed fixed-width characters for editorial design, at medium and large text sizes. Despite this, it soon got its first big product integration, replacing Roboto Mono in Google Chat. The only problem? Developers hated it.
Because the font wasn’t intended to be used at smaller sizes, the letterforms weren’t legible. It was especially difficult to tell the a and o apart. “That can actually be catastrophic for code,” says Tobias Kunisch. “One misplaced character can break an entire program.”
Recognizing this critical need, a dedicated effort was launched to craft Google Sans Code, a monospaced typeface specifically designed to make code more readable. This involved thorough research into the 20 most common programming languages and how developers interact with code, aiming to make the new coding typeface more visually appealing while reducing the ambiguity of similar-looking letterforms. Based on these insights, Google tasked the Universal Thirst foundry to meticulously focus on specific letters, numbers, and operators to meet these requirements. The result is an eminently readable and surprisingly playful typeface.
Google Sans Code launched as an open-source font in 2025, and is the typeface used to display code in Gemini.
Special thanks to the hundreds of people who have contributed to making and evolving Google Sans, including: Akaki Razmadze, Aleksandra Samulenkova, Alex Blattmann, Alexei Vanyashin, Ali Almasri, Anagha Narayanan, Anaïs Lievens, Andy Stewart, Anonta Mon, Anthony Sheret, Anurag Gautam, Anuthin Wongsunkakon, Ashler, Ben Mitchell (Fontpad), Bianca Berning, Black Foundry, Bogidar Mascareñas, Borna Izadpanah, Botio Nikoltchev, Cadson Demak, Carmen Eva Marseille, Cecilia del Castillo Daza, Chris Simpkins, Colophon Foundry, Dalton Maag, Damien Correll, Daniel Grumer, Daniel Yacob, Dave Crossland, David Berlow, David Demaree, Denis Moyogo Jacquerye, Edd Harrington, Eduardo Rennó, Elena Peralta, Erin McLaughlin, Fiona Ross, Font Bureau, Fontef, Georg Seifert, Gor Design, Gor Jihanian, Gunjan Panchal, Gunnar Vilhjálmsson, Hanna Donker, Harry Dalton, Héctor Gómez, Hilary Palmén, Hitesh Malaviya, Irene Vlachou, Jack McCabe, Jamra Patel, Jany Belluz, Jimmy Mooney, Joana Correia, Joana Ranito, Joancarles Casasin, Jonathan Lee, Jonny Pinhorn, Jotika Khur-Yearn, Juan Luis Blanco, Kalapi Gajjar, Khaled Hosny, Knaz Uiyamathiti, Lipi Raval, Mamoun Sakkal, Marc Foley, María Ramos, Marianna Paszkowska, Mark Jamra, Megan Lynch, Meir Sadan, Michele Patanè, Miguel Escamilla, Mike Guss, Mohamed Gaber, Namrata Goyal, Nance Cunningham, Natalia Qadreh, Neil Patel, Nika Langosz, Nikolaus Waxweiler, Octavio Pardo, Omer Ziv, Pablo Bosch, Panuwat Usakunwathana, Pathfinders, Pathum Egodawatta, Patrick McCormick, Pratyush Das, Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer, Riccardo De Franceschi, Richard Bailey, Ricky Atkins, Salomi Desai, Samir Souza Reis, Santiago Orozco, Simon Cozens, Sophia Siao, Sovichet Tep, Stephen Morey, Suppakit Chalermlarp, Tobias Kunisch, U+ Type, Typemade, Universal Thirst, Vaishnavi Murthy, Yanek Iontef, and Ye Myat Lwin.
Shout out to Sarah Daily and Susanna Zaraysky for additional reporting. Illustration and motion by Arthur Ribeiro Vergani.