Android 16’s Quick Settings: One Swipe, No Hands!

It turns out that swiping with two fingers to access the Quick Settings panel in Android 16 won’t be necessary after all! Instead, a single swipe on the right side of the status bar will do the trick. While this change makes the process easier, there’s still no way to switch between notifications and Quick Settings panels with a swipe. Hopefully, Google will address this soon. Back in September, Google was planning a major overhaul for notifications and Quick Settings panels in Android 16. One of the controversial changes was the need to swipe with two fingers to bring up the Quick Settings panel. Fortunately, Google has reconsidered this, making it simpler to access the panel.

By exploring the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 3 release, it was discovered that the new Quick Settings panel can now be accessed with a single finger swipe on the right side of the status bar. This change aligns with how other Android manufacturers implement their panels. Initially, the two-finger swipe was unpopular because it made accessing tiles inconvenient. Although this new design makes accessing the Quick Settings panel easier, it still doesn’t allow users to switch between notifications and Quick Settings panels with a swipe. Other operating systems like Xiaomi’s HyperOS and OnePlus’ OxygenOS 15 already offer this feature. The full rollout of this new design is expected in Android 16's release in Q2 of 2025. Several aspects of the design are still work in progress, such as light mode support and various buttons. Any further improvements in the upcoming Android 15 QPR2 beta will be reported on Android Authority.

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