Android 16

Android 16’s redesign seems to be full of new, subtle animations [Video]

Ben Schoon | May 1 2025 - 9:15 am PT

Google is working on a bigger redesign for Android 16 than we’ve seen in beta releases, and a new leak shows off some of the animation tweaks coming to the updated release.

All the leaked Android 16 features not yet available on Pixel [Video] on a redesign for Android that’s coming to Android 16… eventually. Aspects of the redesign have been appearing for weeks, with a newer look also surfacing yesterday, though it’s still unclear when all of this will actually be released.

Now, another report from Android Authority is showing off some of the new animations found in Android 16’s redesign.

These changes are, to be clear, rather subtle, but they add up to what seems like it will be a more polished, fluid experience for Android. The videos below show that the notification tray will have a bit more virtual friction when swiping away a notification, while elements such as the “Silent” separator will also move when you interact with notifications. The Recents menu, meanwhile, will see apps jiggle around if you don’t fully swipe away an app.

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A new animation for Quick Settings sees a shape form around the icon, while an active tile turns into a slightly different shape and pushes nearby tiles around a bit.

There are some other minor tweaks shown, such as a new “squeeze” animation when you trigger a voice assistant, a waveform icon in the volume indicator when audio is playing, and some interactive animations when you tap on the lockscreen clock.

The changes themselves seem minor, because they are, but as mentioned, they add up to a more fluid and interactive experience for Android itself. These changes are also in line with the “Expressive” Material design that the company has teased as the “future of Google’s UX design.”

The big question, though, is when any of this will go live. Existing Android 16 beta releases don’t showcase any of these changes, implying there’s a chance we won’t see this go live with the update’s initial early release.