- Google is working on a new option for Android 16 that will let you collapse notifications into a shelf on the lock screen.
- Android 16 will let you choose between displaying the full list of notifications on the lock screen or a compact list that’s collapsed.
- In addition, you can select whether to automatically hide notifications you’ve already seen as well as silent notifications from the lock screen.
If you receive a lot of notifications each day, it’s easy for your lock screen to look cluttered. This is problematic, as it not only obscures your beloved wallpaper but also makes important notifications harder to find. This is something that the new compact notification shelf in Android 16 could solve.
In November, I discovered a hidden feature within Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 called lock screen notification minimalism. This mode declutters the lock screen by collapsing notifications into a tiny pill below the clock. Tapping the pill expands the notifications panel so you can see the full content of each notification. This simple feature lets you see your lock screen wallpaper even when you’ve received a ton of notifications.