- Google is testing a new design for the media output switcher in Android 16 Beta 4, updating a UI largely unchanged since its Android 11 debut.
- Notable changes include moving the “connect a device” button higher and tweaking the volume slider to a thinner, continuous design matching Material Design 3.
- While the large pill around listed devices is removed, it remains uncertain if these changes are part of Google’s expected expressive new theme.
On the surface, the upcoming Android 16 release looks similar to the past several Android releases. That’s because the user interface changes Google is working on are still under development and aren’t ready to be shown to the public, including the redesigned media output switcher we spotted today.
While digging into the new Android 16 Beta 4 update that Google released last week, we discovered the company is testing a new design for the media output switcher. This is the panel that pops out when you tap the chip in the top right of any media playback notification. It was introduced with Android 11 in 2020, but its UI has stayed relatively the same, except for a slight update in Android 14 which added a “Speakers & Displays” heading.