Android 16 could still adopt iPhone-style notifications and quick settings — what we know

Google Material 3 Expressive lede — (Image credit: Google)

The Android Show: I/O Edition gave us our first look at Android 16, but the rumored splitting of the Quick Settings and Notifications panel was seemingly absent. However, it looks like the feature is still in the works.

At first glance, the option isn’t available in the current Android 16 QPR1 beta 1 release. However, Android Authority has discovered the feature hidden in the code of the recent beta during an APK teardown.

According to the report, code strings found in the beta's files indicate that Google plans to add a new “Notifications & Quick Settings” option. This addition will allow users to switch the panel design from the current look, called “Classic,” to the split panel design, which has been called “Separate”.

Hidden quick settings page in the Android 16 beta — (Image credit: Android Authority)

The Classic design allows users to simply swipe down from anywhere on the top of the screen to see a merged list of Quick Settings and notifications. However, the Separate panel requires users to swipe down from the top right side of the screen to access Quick Settings, and from the top left to access notifications.

This isn’t the first that we’ve seen Android try this, with split notifications first appearing last year in an Android 15 beta. The change was dropped when the OS launched, only to appear again in the early Android 16 betas. However, after The Android Show and the announcement of the new Material 3 Expressive design didn’t feature the change, many thought it had been removed again.

In development notification panel UI in Android 16 — (Image credit: Android Authority)

While this code line indicates that this isn’t entirely the case, there could be a slight caveat to which devices have access to the new notification/quick settings style. Android Authority found a menu footnote that only appears on foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which states that the Combined option is only available on the outer display. This could, in theory, mean that the Separate design is accordingly only available on the large inner screens of foldable phones, but there’s no clear indication either way just yet.

Right now, there are still a fair number of unknowns about the feature, including when it will be launched. It’s possible that it could launch as part of the Android 16 public release, which is expected to come in June. Alternatively, it could feature as part of a later update for Android 16, which is perhaps more likely considering its hidden current status.

However, considering the negative feelings about the option, we want to hear your thoughts. Would you be switching to the Separate option, or will you stick with the Combined screen?

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Josh is a staff writer for Tom's Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer.

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