Google has published a new beta version of Android 16 earlier this week and, hiding under the scenes, there are more new features and changes in the work, including personalized icon forms for the application launcher, a remained notification panel, and more.
Until now, the first versions of Android 16 have been more empty of new user -oriented features. There are a few pieces and adjustments, but nothing so exciting. Behind the scenes, however, there is work in progress for a lot of major changes, and a few others have been identified in Android 16 Beta 3.
One of the new features to come is the notification summaries, because we have found chains in Beta 3 describing this functionality, but Google also seems to rethink the notification panel as a whole as a set Android authority spotted.
The evidence of a divided notification and a redesign of the fast parameters have existed for some time now, but Android 16 Beta 3 introduces major modifications to the design with a new notification panel which shows more important time at the top – appearance The clock style of your lock screen – while adding a dedicated bar for notification parameters “Erase everything” and the buttons of the notification history. It is a considerable difference compared to the current design, in particular with an entirely opaque background behind the notifications. With the update of the design, new scanning gestures have also been added, with a stroke of the upper left showing notifications, and a stroke from the top right showing fast parameters. There is apparently no gesture to switch between the two – most Android skins implement a left / right blow to pass between – but there are buttons at the top which act like a shortcut.
None of this is still live by default, but it is clear that Google works for this as a fairly important change in Android as a whole.
Meanwhile, the work was also spotted On the possibility of modifying the icons forms of applications on your home screen. Google supported it in the past, but has deleted the functionality in Android 12. It seems that it is widely recognized just like a few years ago. He was also spotted by Mystical leaks telegram That Google may work to add shapes to the lock screen, similar to what we have seen in Oxygenos / Coloros, as well as Samsung’s One 7 recently. There would also be options to show the weather effects.
Again, none of this is really oriented by users in Android 16 Beta 3, and it is not clear when, if not at all, all this will be available. Google should publish the final version of Android 16 around May or June, but we also know that this is not the last update to come. Android 16 QPR1 is already confirmed to deliver the locking screen widgets more widely, and the Google calendar also places a fairly large update of Android 16 later in 2025.
What do you think of the changes on which Google works?
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