What to know

  • Android 16's redesign has leaked, showing major changes to the interface.
  • The new look includes updates to the lockscreen, homescreen, status bar, and settings.
  • These changes are not expected in the initial stable release, but may arrive in later updates this year.
  • Blurred backgrounds and new customization options are key features of the redesign.

Google has been working on a significant redesign for Android 16, and recent leaks have revealed many of the changes users can expect. However, these updates are not likely to appear in the first stable release of Android 16. Instead, they may arrive in future quarterly platform releases later in 2025.

The leaked redesign shows several changes starting with the lockscreen. The "At a Glance" widget has moved from the top-left corner to a spot under the main clock. When notifications are present, the day, date, and weather appear next to the clock. There is also a new "compact notification shelf" that displays notification icons in a pill shape. Tapping this shelf opens the full notification shade.

On the homescreen, the Pixel Launcher will allow more customization of app icons. Users can choose from new shapes such as rounded squares, four-sided and seven-sided cookies, arches, and complex clovers, moving beyond the standard circle icons.

The status bar is also getting a refresh. The clock on the left uses a bold font, and the status icons for Wi-Fi, cellular, and battery have been updated. The battery icon is now rotated 90 degrees and displays the percentage inside the icon.

Quick Settings will keep its current layout for now, but inactive tiles will appear as pill shapes, changing to rounded rectangles with color when enabled. The brightness slider has been updated to match the latest Material 3 style, moving away from the previous pill shape.

One of the most noticeable visual changes is the use of blurred backgrounds. This effect appears on the PIN pad, Quick Settings, app grid, and the Recents multitasking view. The volume slider, panel, and media output switcher have also adopted the new slider style.

The Settings app has been redesigned as well. The main page now features colorful icons for each item, and individual menu pages use card layouts to organize options.

Despite these leaks, the redesign is not enabled by default in the latest Android 16 beta. Reports suggest that Google is still finalizing these features, and they may be released in a future update rather than at launch. More details are expected at Google's upcoming developer events, where the company may introduce a new version of its Material Design theme and provide a clearer timeline for the rollout of these changes.

For now, users should expect the initial Android 16 release to look similar to previous versions, with the major redesign arriving later in 2025 as part of a quarterly update.

Via: Android Authority | 9to5google