Android 16 could change the way you access the Quick Settings screen, and not everyone will like that
Android 15 still hasn’t rolled out to phones yet, though it’s coming to Pixel devices soon. But we’re already hearing about Android 16, and specifically about a big change it could bring to the notifications and quick settings screens.
Mishaal Rahman – writing for Android 15 QPR beta, digs into the latest Android 15 QPR beta Android Authority – has managed to activate a new version of these screens, which they believe should launch as part of Android 16.
Currently, if you have a Pixel device, swiping down from the top of your screen will reveal all of your notifications, along with four Quick Settings tiles. This dropdown will also completely cover up the app running underneath it.
To open the rest of the Quick Settings tiles, swipe down a second time.
But with the new version that Rahman found, the notification shade reappears when you swipe down with one finger. This time, though, you’ll no longer see Quick Settings, and the drop-down only takes up the top half of your phone’s screen. So you can still see what app is running underneath.
To access the Quick Settings panel, swipe in with two fingers, then swipe left or right to access additional Quick Settings tiles.
You can see what this all looks like in the video above, but be aware that this is an unfinished version of the feature, and for example, it doesn’t play well with light mode, as it obscures the white text. So if and when this change is implemented, it will likely be in a more polished form.
The gist of it is that you no longer have to swipe twice to get to Quick Settings, but you have to swipe with two fingers. Whether that’s better or worse is somewhat subjective, but it could be divisive. Rahman, for example, described the change as “annoying.”
A pixel specific change
It remains to be seen whether this change will be implemented at all. While Google is clearly experimenting with it, that doesn’t mean the company will actually follow through.
Given this, the most likely launch date is Android 16, which likely won’t be ready for another year or so. However, it’s also possible that the change will be part of a smaller software update in the meantime.
Oh, and if you don’t have a Pixel phone, you likely won’t get this change anyway, as most other manufacturers make their own tweaks to notifications and quick settings shades anyway.
