Android N could bring redesigned notification shade and quick settings panel

While most of have only recently begun settling in with Android 6.0 Marshmallow on our devices, Android N looms near. In fact, we can expect to see our first official look at what the Android team has cooked up during this year’s Google I/O, taking place on May 18th – 20th at the Shoreline Amphitheater. If you were hoping for a sneak peek, a new leak could be giving us an early look at some of the UI changes we can expect.

Using a handful of mockups, the folks at Android Police show us what Google could be planning for Android’s trademark notification shade and quick settings panels. Going for more of a Samsung-type feel, a few of the most commonly used quick settings will now appear at the top of the notification shade, removing the need to swipe twice to access things like WiFi, Bluetooth, or the flashlight. Of course, you can still swipe down twice to access all the others, with the new quick settings panel now paginated, allowing you to swipe left to access even more controls.

As for notifications, it seems Google could be toying around with the idea of removing the card UI we have no, going with instead a list and smaller, less prominent app icons. It’s an interesting look, one that almost feels like a throw back to early versions of Android. It may look a little less Material, but overall it seems cleaner and less cluttered. Still aren’t sure how we feel about it yet. What do you guys think?

Android N could completely change how the Settings menu looks

With Google IO 2016 just a few months away, rumors about the next version of Android have been flying around like crazy. A couple of the rumors have indicated major changes to core Android features, such as the removal of the app drawer. The next big change could be found in the Settings menu.

Google may have accidentally shared screenshots of the Settings in Android N. Yesterday, the Android Developer Blog posted about the Android Support Library 23.2. Unless you’re a developer, this is not a terribly exciting post. However, the screenshots towards the bottom of the page show a hamburger menu icon in the Settings. Presumably, tapping the hamburger icon will open a slide-out drawer with the different Settings sections.

Currently, the Settings menu is organized into sections on a single page. It can be a little cumbersome to scroll through the long page looking for a specific setting. A hamburger menu would make it much easier to navigate, and it would match the UI that a lot of Android apps already use. We would be able to quickly jump into the desired section of the Settings.

How do you feel about this new menu in the Settings? It seems that Google is rethinking how certain parts of Android work. We’re not sure how we feel about the app drawer going away, but taking a look at things that have been the same for a long time is a good practice.

[via Android Police]