Android 15 may improve volume panel design, add features: Report

Android 15 could get a major design overhaul for the volume panel, according to a new report. We’re still a few months away from the launch of the next-generation operating system for Android smartphones, but some of its new features have already been leaked. Recently, a report claimed that users will be able to archive apps in Android 15 to save space on their smartphones instead of uninstalling it completely. Now, another report claims that the volume panel could finally adopt Google’s Material You design language.

according to a Report According to tipster Mishaal Rahman (via Android Authority), Android 15 could continue the process of bringing all areas of smartphones into the Material You standard. The new design language debuted with Android 12 in 2021, and Google has been adding it to different apps and features since then. According to the report, the volume panel is the latest to show off its elements.

The current volume panel already has elements where the bottom form appears when the volume buttons are pressed. However, the current design features thin sliders for media, calls, ringtones, notifications, and alert audio streams.There is also one labeled sound and vibration and an icon placed next to the slider, and the name of the stream placed above the slider.

Android 15 volume panel
Image credit: Mishaal Rahman/Android Authority

According to reports, the redesigned volume panel brings big changes to the sliders. These were discovered in the latest Android 15 Developer Preview 2 build, but haven’t been rolled out to beta testers yet. The new slider is now thicker and pill-shaped. The icons and audio stream text are placed inside the slider, and there is a button next to the media slider that collapses the entire panel into a single line when clicked. Clicking it again opens a fully expanded view.

According to the shared image, the top label is also gone, replaced by a permanent audio output switcher icon. Even if the audio is not playing through external speakers, the icon remains and indicates that the audio is playing through the device itself. The report also highlights that when adjusting the stream volume, the text will also move to remain visible at all times. The redesigned volume panel may arrive with the stable Android 15 build, however, it’s not set in stone as Google hasn’t officially added it to the operating system so far.