Ever flipped your phone sideways and felt like navigating the screen was a workout? You’re not alone. The Android interface, while adaptable, hasn’t always played nicely with landscape mode, especially when it comes to the notification panel. But Google’s finally giving landscape mode in Android 14 and future versions some love, and the results are promising.
Hidden within the latest Android 14 QPR2 beta 2, a landscape notification pull-down is emerging that feels like a breath of fresh air. Gone is the stretched-out portrait layout. Instead, a tablet-inspired split screen takes center stage. Four Quick Settings tiles, now comfortably arranged in a 2×2 grid, are always readily available. No more hunting for that brightness slider, it’s permanently front and center. Even the Settings and power menu shortcuts bask in the glory of constant visibility. Notifications? They’ve moved to the right, making better use of the wider canvas. Click/tap on the images below for a better view.
The latest landscape layout in Android 14 beta is a clear improvement over the current implementation, making information in the notification panel available at a glance. While its official release date remains a mystery (who knows, it might even wait for Android 15), one thing’s certain: landscape mode on Android is finally getting the attention it deserves.
Notably, this comes after Google introduced similar tweaks to the lock screen in landscape mode with an earlier Android 14 build. So it’s great to see Google continuing to embrace the wide view for a smoother, more intuitive Android experience.
Besides landscape mode, Google is also working on several other new features, among them a new ‘Circle to Search’ gesture, Notification cooldown, while the Pixel Launcher now shows app names in two lines.
Hillary Keverenge
2121 Posts
Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.
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