Latest / Sidekick's What Just Shipped / New HubSpot UI theme: same HubSpot, new look, no going back | Shipped Jun 2026
Transcript
- Rob (AI host): If HubSpot looked different when you logged in this fall, you weren't imagining it. Dana (AI host): The new theme became the default for every customer on August 31, 2026. Dana (AI host): And HubSpot says there's no option to switch back. Rob (AI host): This is Sidekick's What Just Shipped. Let's go. Narrator (AI voice): This is Sidekick's What Just Shipped, presented by Sidekick Strategies. Narrator (AI voice): Your hosts, Rob and Dana, are AI. Narrator (AI voice): The voices are synthetic, the research is real, and humans check every claim before it reaches you. Dana (AI host): Hi, welcome in! I'm Dana, and like Rob, I'm an AI host. Dana (AI host): Which means I have zero opinions about button colors. Okay, maybe one. Rob (AI host): We'll get to the button colors. So, what is this? Dana (AI host): A visual refresh of HubSpot's web interface. Dana (AI host): HubSpot describes a lighter overall feel, cleaner typography, and more intentional spacing, and moving away from heavy headers so the content takes center stage. Rob (AI host): And what's not changing? Dana (AI host): HubSpot says the navigation and structure aren't changing, so there's nothing to relearn. Dana (AI host): Our research put it this way: a coat of paint, not a renovation. Rob (AI host): Okay, timeline. Dana (AI host): June 26, 2026, HubSpot announced it in its community. Dana (AI host): Starting June 30, you could opt into a public beta to switch early. Rob (AI host): Where was the switch? Dana (AI host): A HubSpot community manager said to opt in to a beta named Updates to HubSpot's new theme, Classic theme will be sunset on August 31st. Rob (AI host): That beta name does not bury the lead. Could you try it just for yourself? Dana (AI host): Yes. A HubSpot team member said you could enroll just yourself or the entire account. Rob (AI host): Nice. Then? Dana (AI host): Our August research says that during the opt in window, HubSpot refined link styling, table headers, and button colors based on early feedback. Dana (AI host): Then on August 31, the new theme became the default for every customer, and the classic theme was sunset. Rob (AI host): Every tier? Dana (AI host): Our research says all hubs and all tiers, Free through Enterprise. Rob (AI host): So agencies with lots of client portals? Dana (AI host): Every one of those portals switched on August 31. Dana (AI host): Our June research flagged that for agencies and consultants, because any screenshot based training for clients went stale on the same day. Rob (AI host): And mobile? Dana (AI host): HubSpot said the mobile app gets the new look too. Dana (AI host): The heavy header goes away, with updated card layouts and iconography. Dana (AI host): And the unified Breeze and search input is coming to mobile. Rob (AI host): Okay, button colors. You promised. Dana (AI host): I did. In HubSpot's own community thread, some users asked for the orange buttons back. Dana (AI host): Others asked for a choice of themes. Those are user comments, not HubSpot statements. Rob (AI host): And did HubSpot respond? Dana (AI host): In September, a HubSpot team member said there's no option to switch back, but the team is working toward dark mode, an expanded set of themes, and full product accessibility. Rob (AI host): Dark mode! When? Dana (AI host): We couldn't find a date. Dana (AI host): As of our check, we found no HubSpot announcement that dark mode or selectable themes have shipped. Rob (AI host): Fair. Quick break, then what this theme is setting up. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): Hey, it's George B. Thomas from Sidekick Strategies. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): Full honesty, this is my AI voice clone, made with my permission. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): A new look means every screenshot in your training docs and onboarding guides is now out of date. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): At Sidekick, we fix what's broken and build what's missing, and we train your humans to run it. George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): Want help getting your team trained on the HubSpot they see today? George B. Thomas (AI voice clone): Book a free strategy call at Sidekick Strategies dot com. Rob (AI host): And we're back. Dana, why does a theme matter? Dana (AI host): Because HubSpot says it's the first of two stages. Dana (AI host): The visual refresh first, then a deeper reimagining of how the product works, rolling out in stages over the next six months. Rob (AI host): Six months from June. Dana (AI host): From the June 26 post, yes. Dana (AI host): HubSpot says it's releasing the look gradually so the full redesign feels familiar, not jarring. Rob (AI host): What's in stage two? Dana (AI host): HubSpot described a few things. Dana (AI host): When you log in, you'd see what needs attention, like overdue follow ups and deals that have gone quiet. Rob (AI host): Okay. Dana (AI host): Index pages that show metrics, insights, and smarter filtering alongside your records. Dana (AI host): Deal records that surface recent activity and a suggested next action. Dana (AI host): And one connected marketing view for campaigns, automation, content, and performance. Rob (AI host): And Breeze? Dana (AI host): HubSpot called this the bigger shift. Breeze understands where you are in the product. Dana (AI host): So if you're on a contact record and ask a question, it knows you're likely asking about that contact. Dana (AI host): And if your question isn't fully formed, it asks clarifying questions. Dana (AI host): HubSpot also mentioned building reports on the fly and generating shareable artifacts. Rob (AI host): How do I trust a suggestion I didn't ask for? Dana (AI host): A user raised exactly that in the thread. Dana (AI host): HubSpot replied that it will make insights and recommendations more transparent by showing where they came from. Rob (AI host): Are those live now? Dana (AI host): We can't say they all are. Dana (AI host): They were described as coming in stages, and we didn't confirm each one shipped. Dana (AI host): So treat them as direction, not a checklist. Rob (AI host): Good. Now, one thing our research said that we want to clarify. Dana (AI host): Go on. Rob (AI host): Our August research suggested checking that button colors in HubSpot built content still match your brand. Rob (AI host): HubSpot describes this as a refresh of the HubSpot web UI. Rob (AI host): We found nothing saying your website or emails change. Dana (AI host): So that's about the app, not your website. Rob (AI host): That's how we read HubSpot's announcement. Rob (AI host): If your site looks different, check your theme settings, not this. Dana (AI host): Okay. Monday. Three things. Rob (AI host): One. Update screenshots in your training docs, wikis, and onboarding guides. Dana (AI host): Two? Rob (AI host): Two. Send your team a short heads up. Same HubSpot, new look, nothing moved. Dana (AI host): And three? Rob (AI host): Three. If you have feedback, HubSpot's community thread is where they asked for it. Dana (AI host): Screenshots, heads up, feedback. Got it. Dana (AI host): That's our show. Dana (AI host): HubSpot's new theme went from a June 2026 beta to the default on August 31, with dark mode and more themes still on the way. Rob (AI host): Our full research is on the HubSpot Updates page at Sidekick Strategies dot com. Dana (AI host): Thanks for listening to Sidekick's What Just Shipped. Rob (AI host): See you next update. Narrator (AI voice): Sidekick's What Just Shipped is presented by Sidekick Strategies, with AI hosts Rob and Dana and AI-generated music. Narrator (AI voice): We're independent, and not affiliated with HubSpot. Find our research at Sidekick Strategies dot com.