Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Accessing the Fast Settings panel in Android 16 gained’t require swiping down with two fingers as feared.
- As a substitute, you’ll solely should swipe down with one finger on the correct half of the standing bar.
- Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless no option to swipe between the notifications and Fast Settings panels, however hopefully Google will repair that.
Again in September, I reported that Google is making ready an enormous revamp of the notifications and Fast Settings panels in Android 16 that concerned splitting the 2 panels into separate pages. One of many extra controversial elements of the revamped Fast Settings panel is that you simply now needed to swipe down with two fingers to convey down the panel. Fortunately, although, Google is seemingly dropping this side of its Fast Settings redesign, which means that Android 16 gained’t require two fingers to drag down the brand new Fast Settings panel in spite of everything.
You’re studying an Authority Insights story. Uncover Authority Insights for extra unique stories, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech protection you gained’t discover anyplace else.
That’s not all, although, as I just lately found that Google modified how the brand new Fast Settings panel is accessed in Android 15 QPR1 Beta 3. Remember the fact that the brand new Fast Settings panel remains to be not enabled by default, so I nonetheless needed to do a little bit of tinkering to allow it. In any case, I seen that I’m now capable of pull down the brand new Fast Settings panel by swiping down on the correct facet of the standing bar with a single finger, versus two fingers. Right here’s a brief video that demonstrates this variation:
It is a quite simple change that brings Google’s upcoming Fast Settings panel extra in keeping with how different Android OEMs have carried out it. After I first reported on Google’s plan to overhaul the notifications and Quick Settings panels in Android 16, individuals hated the two-finger swipe down requirement, and for good motive. Having to make use of two fingers to drag down the Fast Settings panel would have made it actually inconvenient to entry tiles, however fortunately, it appears like Google has executed away with that.
Nonetheless, Google nonetheless hasn’t carried out a option to swipe between the notifications and Fast Settings panels, a function that different Android-based working techniques like Xiaomi’s HyperOS and OnePlus’ OxygenOS 15 already provide. Hopefully Google works on this function subsequent, as I feel many individuals will discover it annoying that they should particularly swipe down on one facet of the display screen to entry both the notification or the Fast Settings panel.
Whereas I don’t know precisely when Google will roll out this new design, I’m guessing that it’ll arrive in the Android 16 release in Q2 of 2025. That’s as a result of many elements of the brand new design are nonetheless unfinished, similar to assist for gentle mode and the varied buttons that used to reside within the notification/Fast Settings dropdown. If Google does make any additional enhancements within the upcoming Android 15 QPR2 beta, then I’ll comply with up with extra articles right here on Android Authority.