- Google is experimenting with putting the lock screen clock in more surfaces, including the top of the notifications panel.
- This feature isn’t live yet in the latest Android 16 beta, but it could arrive in one of the quarterly releases.
- The clock only appears in the new split notification panel, though, and it’s not clear if Google will bring it to the existing combined one.
One reason many people love Android phones is how they can be customized, from the home screen to the lock screen. The degree of customization differs between phones, but in general, Android allows you to tweak enough things to truly make your phone feel personal. Pixel phones, for example, let you customize the style of the lock screen clock, giving your lock screen a personal touch. Your clock choice isn’t reflected anywhere else in the OS right now, but that could change in a future update to Android 16.
Following the recent release of Android 16 Beta 3, we examined the update to determine if Google had made progress on overhauling the Quick Settings panel. Google has been working to split the notifications and Quick Settings panels into separate pages, similar to manufacturers like Samsung and Xiaomi. While the new dual-page panel UI is not yet live in Beta 3, we were able to get it working for a quick demonstration, as shown below.