Android 15

Android 15 may give the volume panel a major redesign with new features

Ben Schoon | Apr 1 2024 - 8:20 am PT

Android 15 is still in its early days, but it’s looking like one visual revamp in the update could be a new design for the volume panel.

Back in Android 10, Google introduced a pop-up volume panel that allows users to quickly adjust all of the various volume sliders on their device from one location. It’s a useful tool, but also one that hasn’t changed much since its 2019 introduction.

As uncovered by the folks over at Android Authority, the volume panel in Android 15 could not only look different, but also add some new functionality.

First and foremost, the new volume panel design that hidden beneath the surface of current Android 15 Developer Preview builds brings a more up-to-date design. Sliders have a bigger look that’s similar to the brightness slider on Pixels. It’s a drastic change in look, but one that better fits with Material You on Pixel devices.

Beyond that, the new design would also be collapsible, allowing the panel to show all volume settings, or just focus on the constantly-improving ability to switch media output. Apparently, the panel automatically defaults to its condensed state whenever an app is playing media.

The new design is also said to allow users to quickly mute an audio stream by tapping the icon, as well as showing controls for things like Spatial Audio and “noise control,” which presumably work with paired headphones.

This redesign isn’t live by default in Android 15 DP2, but it could arrive in later releases. Google often saves bigger changes in new Android releases for the first beta release which is likely to debut in mid-May at Google I/O 2024.

What do you think of the new look?