Google is preparing a big redesign of Android’s Settings app, and we have a first look

Google is testing a new, more ‘expressive’ design for the Settings app in Android 16

Mar 13, 2025 - 20:27
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Google is preparing a big redesign of Android’s Settings app, and we have a first look
  • The Android Settings app could get a major design overhaul in an upcoming Android release.
  • The new design could bring Material Design 3 switches, have each item in separate cards, and use carets to indicate when subpages exist.
  • The new version of the Settings app isn’t live yet in Android 16 Beta 3, and we don’t know when it’ll arrive.

The Settings app is one of the most important apps on any Android device, so it’s crucial that vendors make it as easy as possible to navigate. To make it easier to deal with the sheer number of menus and toggles in the Settings app, Google has spent the past few months working on a totally new Settings design that provides a clearer visual separation between settings and also makes it more obvious when a settings entry has an additional subpage. Here’s a first look at the new Settings design that Google is testing in Android 16.

While I was looking through Android 16 Beta 3, I spotted signs that Google is working on a more “expressive” design for the Settings app. With a bit of effort, I managed to fully enable the new “expressive” Settings design. Here are some images that show various parts of Settings with this new “expressive” design.