Android 15 QPR1 comes with a redesign in Settings

Android 15 is now officially out in beta, even if it’s not yet available on any smartphone. Android 15 QPR1 now has a second beta build which reportedly comes with a redesign in the Settings app. Here’s everything you need to know about Android 15.

Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 offers a redesigned Settings app

Mishaal Rahman was the first to spot the redesign in the Settings app in Android 15, which is now live in QPR1 Beta 2. Reportedly the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 is in the process of releasing to the beta channel for Google‘s Pixel devices. The latest version carries a build number of AP41.240823.009. Eligible Pixel devices include the Google Pixel 6 and all phones, and tablets Google released since then. However, users will need to enroll their Pixel devices in the beta program to get the update.

Notably, Mishaal Rahman spotted a number of new user-facing features that bring some exciting changes or improvements. The redesigned Settings app now groups related preferences together, with a physical gap between them. For example, the ‘Network & internet’ and ‘Connected devices’ are now grouped together and appear like a box physically separated from other boxes with related options. The order of certain options like the ‘Battery’ or the ‘Storage” has also changed slightly.

It also includes a new keyboard switcher and improved notifications

Alongside the redesign in the Settings app, Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 also offers a new keyboard switcher button. It appears when you have any software keyboard button. A new globe icon appears when you have more than one keyboard app installed. However, it no longer opens a popup menu. Instead, it lets you directly switch to the next keyboard app. The popup menu appears only when you long-press the button.

According to Rahman, notification management in Android 15 QPR1 also has some improvements. Android 14 shows an indicator in the top-right corner whenever screen recording is active. There is also a notification icon towards the left side that lets you stop recording once you expand the notification tray.

These elements now appear as a single chip that resides in the top-left corner of the screen while recording. It lets you stop recording with a single tap without having to expand the notification tray. Speaking of notifications, the smaller popup view in landscape mode is also active now. It takes about half as much vertical space when they pop onto the screen.