Pixel users are in for a treat with Android 16's revamped UI

Android 16 has been rolling out in beta for a little while now. While the initial betas brought some under-the-hood tweaks, many users, myself included, were left wondering where the big visual changes were. Well, it looks like Google has been cooking up something special behind the scenes. Thanks to some digging by the folks at Android Authority, we’re getting an early peek at a potential UI overhaul for Android, and Pixel users should be excited.

It seems Google is preparing to embrace a more “expressive” version of its Material Design language, possibly called Material 3 Expressive. This translates into some noticeable visual updates across the system, giving Android a fresh feel. One of the first things you might spot is in the status bar. The icons for Wi-Fi, mobile data, and battery are getting a refresh. They look a bit bolder, and the Wi-Fi/mobile icons get a segmented look. The battery icon even turns sideways now, showing the percentage inside and changing color based on charge level. The clock font up there looks a little bigger and bolder too, which should make it easier to see at a glance.

The Quick Settings panel is also getting some love. Expect to see more background blur when you pull it down, giving it a nice, modern depth effect. The tiles themselves change shape from simple pills to rounded rectangles when you toggle them on, adding a touch of color. Plus, the brightness slider looks slimmer, ditching the old pill shape to match the new volume controls. Speaking of volume, those sliders controlling your sound levels are getting the thinner treatment too, making things look cleaner.

Other areas are getting touched up as well. The lock screen might see the ‘At a Glance’ widget shift position, sitting neatly under the main clock instead of tucked in the corner. There’s even talk of an option for a compact notification view, just showing icons in a small pill instead of full alerts. Blur effects seem to be a recurring theme, popping up on the PIN entry screen and even in the recent apps view, adding a layer of visual polish. Even the main Settings menu might get spruced up with colorful icons for each section, moving away from the more uniform look we have now.

Now, before you rush to check your Pixel for these changes, hold your horses. Android Authority notes these updates aren’t live in the current Android 16 beta. They had to enable them manually. It’s quite possible this redesign won’t make it into the initial stable release of Android 16 when it launches. Instead, we might see it roll out in a later update, perhaps one of those quarterly feature drops Google likes to do throughout the year. Google is expected to talk more about its design direction soon, possibly at its big developer conference.

This visual refresh looks promising. It feels like a needed coat of paint for stock Android, making things feel a bit more dynamic and modern. While we wait for this UI update, other Android 16 news keeps trickling out. There’s buzz about how the Pixel 10 will boot up quicker thanks to an Android 16 tweak. And if you’re feeling adventurous and have the latest mid-ranger, Pixel 9a users can now try out Android 16 beta. Of course, betas aren’t always perfect, with some testers noting that lockscreen shortcuts on Android 16 beta 4 are activating on a single tap, instead of tap and hold. Still, the future looks bright, and certainly more stylish, for Android on Pixel phones.

Featured image credit: Android Authority