Google to redesign Quick Settings and Notification Panel with Android 16

Google will likely change how the Quick Settings and Notification Panel appear on your phone, with Android 16. However, instead of being an effective and beneficial makeover, this new modification could annoy smartphone users to some extent.

The Android 16 Quick Settings and Notification Panel tweak has appeared ahead of the Android 15 stable release. Spotted in the Android 15 QPR1 beta, the U.S. firm plans to separate the Quick Settings and Notification Panel with the next upgrade.

Up to this point, Android software used to offer a unified Notification Panel and Quick Settings. But with the next Android version, Google could change this pattern.

Starting with the Notification Panel, users will be able to access the panel via a single swipe gesture. But rather than covering the entire screen, the panel will only take a quarter of the display. Notably, this gesture won’t let you access Quick Settings.

Android 16 Notification Panel (Image Credits: AndroidAuthority)

For the Control Center, users need to swipe down on the screen with two fingers. This could be slightly annoying as it ends the one-hand accessibility. Although Google might make new changes or enhancements to this segment in the time ahead.

Quick Settings will further reflect a dual-shade design throughout. Also, the brightness adjuster now appears in a thick pill shape and shows a text label, just like volume sliders. Users may also see 2 x 2 grid tiles and 4 x 2 grids for narrow tiles.

The Quick Settings will show 12-16 tiles per page. One can swipe left or right to access more settings. Light mode could be another addition. This is just an initial look and Google could make changes to these panels with the next versions.

Android 16 Quick Settings (Image Credits: Android Authority)

Huawei Central’s Take:

Separate Quick Settings and Notification Panel – well, that reminds us of the Huawei phones. The Chinese OEM introduced this concept with EMUI 12 based on extensive research on user preferences and psychology. One can easily go through all alerts and notifications at a time without getting stuck due to Quick Settings.

Years later, smartphone makers started adopting the same pattern for their Android skin. Xiaomi’s HyperOS and now Google are examples in this case. But instead of making it a tough task, Huawei simplified the dual panels with easy one-finger gestures.

How Google will renovate this idea with Android 16 would be worth looking at.

[Source – AndroidAuthority]