Google released the new Android 16 Beta earlier this week, and behind the scenes, several new features and changes are being worked on, including custom icon shapes for the app launcher, a new notification panel, and more.
The early release of Android 16 doesn’t have any major user-facing features yet. There are a few minor tweaks and changes, but nothing too exciting. However, behind the scenes, several big changes are in the works, and Android 16 Beta 3 has introduced some more updates.
One of the upcoming new features is Notification Summary, as we found strings describing this feature in Beta 3. It seems that Google is redesigning the entire notification panel, as noted by Android Authority.
Evidence of split notifications and a quick settings redesign has been around for a while, but Android 16 Beta 3 introduces a major design overhaul with a new notification panel. The panel is now emphasizing time at the top more mainly matching the style of the lock screen clock, while adding a dedicated bar for Clear All and the notification settings and notification history buttons. This design stands out far much compared to the current one, particularly with a fully opaque background behind the notifications.
With the design update, new swipe gestures have also been added. Swiping from the top-left will show notifications, and swiping from the top-right will show quick settings. It seems there’s no gesture to switch between the two, though—most Android skins implement a left/right swipe to switch between them. Google had supported this feature before but removed it in Android 12. It looks like it’s being brought back on a larger scale, much like it was a few years ago.
Mystic Leaks also noticed on Telegram that Google is working on adding shapes to the lock screen, similar to what we’ve seen in OxygenOS/ColorOS and more recently in Samsung’s One UI 7. There will also be options to show weather effects.
Again, none of this is actually available for users yet in Android 16 Beta 3, and it’s unclear when any of these features will be ready. Google is expected to release the final version of Android 16 around May or June, but we also know that this won’t be the last update. Android 16 QPR1 has already been confirmed to more widely distribute lock screen widgets, and Google’s schedule includes a second major update for Android 16 at the end of 2025.
