![\"Android](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Android_16_Beta_3_dual_shade_hero_image.jpg\"\/ "\\"Android")
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Mishaal Rahman \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
TL;DR<\/p>\n
Google is set to roll out a major overhaul to Android\u2019s user interface this year, introducing the company\u2019s new Material 3 Expressive<\/a> design to the OS. As part of this redesign, Google is revamping Android\u2019s Quick Settings panel to add Material 3 Expressive flair and deliver several functional improvements. The company showcased these Quick Settings changes earlier this month, even inviting users to test them in the Android beta program. However, Google didn\u2019t reveal that its work on the Quick Settings panel isn\u2019t finished, as it plans another significant revamp, possibly slated for an upcoming quarterly release of Android 16<\/a>.<\/p>\n \nYou\u2019re reading an Authority Insights<\/strong> story. Discover Authority Insights<\/a> for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won\u2019t find anywhere else.<\/p>\n During The Android Show: I\/O Edition, Google showcased the Quick Settings revamp<\/a> slated for release later this year. This updated Quick Settings panel introduces background blur, resizable tiles, one-click toggles for Bluetooth and Modes, a cleaner tile editor, and a redesigned brightness slider. The revamped panel is live in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 update<\/a> that Google released last week, but this is only part of the picture. Google is actually quietly working on an entirely different version of the Quick Settings panel: one that\u2019s separated from the notifications panel.<\/p>\n Last year, I uncovered evidence that Google was preparing to separate Android\u2019s notifications and Quick Settings panels. The company\u2019s goal was to divide them into distinct pages, thereby creating more room for both notifications and Quick Settings tiles. This approach mirrors the design many OEMs, such as Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus, currently feature in their Android builds.<\/p>\n When Google announced Material 3 Expressive earlier this month, many assumed the company had abandoned the split panel design because it wasn\u2019t showcased during The Android Show and isn\u2019t present in the Android 16 QPR1 beta. However, we\u2019ve recently found strong evidence suggesting the split panel design is still in active development. More importantly, evidence indicates it will likely be an optional feature.<\/p>\n While digging through the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release, we spotted strings indicating Google plans to add a new \u201cNotifications & Quick Settings<\/strong>\u201d option under Settings > Notifications<\/strong>. This page will allow users to switch the panel design from the current \u201ccombined<\/strong>\u201d view to the new \u201cseparate<\/strong>\u201d view. Notably, the \u201ccombined\u201d view is labeled \u201cclassic<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201ccombined\u201d panel, accessed by swiping down anywhere from the top of the screen, merges notifications and Quick Settings into a single interface, as its name implies. Conversely, the new \u201cseparate\u201d panel divides notifications from Quick Settings, requiring a swipe down from the top right to open Quick Settings and from the top left to access notifications.<\/p>\n Code<\/p>\n Copy TextNotifications & Quick Settings
The image below illustrates the anticipated look of the new Notifications & Quick Settings page in Android. Note that neither this page nor the split design itself is currently live in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1. Furthermore, the animation displayed on this page is a placeholder, as Google has yet to develop a custom version.<\/p>\n Mishaal Rahman \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n While the rollout timing for this new split panel design remains unknown, we now know it hasn\u2019t been abandoned. This feature could arrive with the other Material 3 Expressive changes in the Android 16 QPR1 release, or potentially later, such as in Android 16 QPR2.<\/p>\n When it does arrive, its availability across all devices is uncertain. A special footer message, appearing only on foldable devices, notes that the \u201ccombined\u201d panel is limited to the outer screen. Although we haven\u2019t seen any indication that this split panel design will be exclusive to foldable phones<\/a>, this message could suggest that possibility.<\/p>\n Code<\/p>\n Copy TextCombined (classic) view is limited to the outer screen of your foldable device<\/p>\n Furthermore, it\u2019s unclear whether this split panel design will be enabled by default. We hope it won\u2019t be, considering the negative reaction when Samsung implemented a similar default<\/a> in One UI 7. We\u2019ll be sure to update you if we learn more about Google\u2019s split panel design.<\/p>\n![\"Android](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Android_16_dual_shade_demo_notifications_panel.jpg\"\/ "\\"Android")
In-development notification panel UI in Android 16.![\"Android](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Android_16_dual_shade_demo_Quick_Settings_panel.jpg\"\/ "\\"Android")
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\nPanels
\nSeparate
\nSwipe down from the top right to open Quick Settings. Swipe down from the top left to open notifications.
\nCombined (classic)
\nSwipe down from the top of your screen to access the classic panel that combines notifications and Quick Settings.<\/p>\n![\"Android](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Android_16_QPR1_notifications__Quick_Settings_panel_feature.jpg\"\/ "\\"Android")
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