Google may significantly change Android’s status bar icons for the first time in years with Android 15.
As spotted by Android Authority, the upcoming Android 15 update may bring new status bar icons, with the Wi-Fi and cell signal icons going back to a segmented design while the battery icon rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise.
The new horizontal battery icon will also feature a more distinct difference between the outline and the internal colour that shows the battery level. Plus, the icon will be slightly larger to accommodate displaying the battery percentage inside the icon, similar to how iOS displays battery level and percentage.
Android 14 status icons (left) vs. Android 15 icons (right) | Image credit: Android Authority
Android users can still choose to turn off the battery percentage if they prefer (if Google goes with this design, I think I might go that route since the icon looks much cleaner without the number inside).
Android 15 status icons without battery percentage | Image credit: Android Authority
The icon changes aren’t currently enabled in Google’s Android 15 Developer Preview 2, and Android Authority had to turn them on manually. It’s possible Google is still in early testing with the new icons, which means it’s possible they won’t make it into the final release. It’ll be interesting to see how things shift over the next few developer previews and eventual beta releases.
Notably, this marks the first significant change to the status icons since Android 5.0. Over the years, the status bar has received minor tweaks, such as adjusting the position of some icons to accommodate the shift to phones with centre-aligned hole-punch cameras or adding subtle rounding to the icons. For the most part, though, the icons have largely remained the same.
Android Authority also reports Android 15 will add more haptic feedback to some elements of the UI. This includes the Quick Settings panel, where long-pressing a tile will cause a vibration, or the volume slider, which causes small vibrations when adjusting the volume level.
Source: Android Authority
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