3 steps to smarter Quick Settings

An easy instant upgrade  ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [visible logo](​ Quick: When's the last time you really, truly thought about your phone's Quick Settings? If you're like most Android-adoring organisms — myself included — the answer probably falls somewhere between "many moons ago" and "never." Android's Quick Settings panel is one of those things that's just kinda there, and aside from occasionally opening it up to flip on your flashlight or grumble about something Bluetooth-related, it's all too easy to treat as an afterthought. Lemme tell ya: That's a mistake. Your phone's Quick Settings section is an untapped gold mine, and it doesn't take much to dig up its treasures and get 'em ready to enrich you. This week's Things to Try section is overflowing with instantly useful tips about expanding and customizing your Quick Settings and transforming that area of Android into something invaluable — with three simple steps. I hope it all makes as much of a difference for you as it has for me. [JR Raphael, Author] JR Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 1 minute ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute ⌚ Just for Funsies: 15 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. Your Quick Settings are in for an overhaul ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: All current customization potential aside, it's lookin' like Google's got big plans for improving Android's Quick Settings experience in next year's Android 16 update. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Freshly uncovered clues reveal work on options to resize individual Quick Settings tiles — something lots of folks I know would appreciate! — and to more easily search for specific tiles, too. 📌 READ MORE: Dive into the latest intel around [the resizing]() and [searching possibilities](), and be sure to read the rest of this issue to learn how you can perform similar feats (and more!) on any phone today. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. A new kind of 'rich' notification could be coming ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Some under-development code suggests Google's cookin' up a whole new kind of notification for the next Android version — one that may feel slightly familiar... 🔎 KNOW MORE: The system would empower apps to create "chips" that sit in the status bar and give you persistent info about ongoing activities — pending timers, for instance, or travel-related updates. It's reminiscent of the iPhone's Dynamic Island feature, though technically, Android's had some version of this in place for a while now, on a limited level. 📌 READ MORE: Get [an early peek at what's happening](=) — and if you want something similar on your phone this instant, [revisit this tantalizing tip](. Cast your vote... ​[Do you have Dynamic Island envy?](​ --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Android updates are about to get crazy ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Google's officially announced it's shifting to a new schedule of two Android version updates each year — with a "major release" in Q2 and a "minor release" in the final quarter of the year. 🔎 KNOW MORE: On the surface, this seems like quite a change from the current once-annual update cadence. In actuality, though, it may not be all that different — at least, from our perspective. Google says the Q4 releases will focus on "feature updates, optimizations, and bug fixes." The company's been putting out increasingly significant quarterly updates exactly like that for a while now. So for phone-owners like us, the practical, noticeable effect of this shift could be relatively minor. 📌 READ MORE: Get all the context around the shake-up and why it's happening in [this developer-focused announcement](. SPONSORED MESSAGE It’s time to stop overpaying for wireless In today's world, finding a wireless plan that fits your budget can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. But it's time to start looking at wireless plans in a whole new light, thanks to [Visible](. [Phone surrounded by coins](​ Right now, Android Intelligence readers can save up to $145 on an annual plan — so you can stay connected to loved ones while keeping a little extra cash in your pocket. 💰 Unlike other wireless providers, Visible has no hidden fees or contracts — just reliable 5G and 4G coverage that won’t break the bank. ➜ [So why wait? Join the thousands of satisfied customers who've already made the switch to Visible.](​ [SAVE UP TO $145 ON VISIBLE ➜]( ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Clean up your Quick Settings As I promised at the start of this issue, today's tips are all about Android's Quick Settings panel and making the most of that oft-overlooked space. ➜ And before we get into the fun part of expanding and customizing that area, we need to prepare the foundation and remove all the stuff you don't actually use. ⌚ It'll take two to five minutes, depending on how much junk you've got to clean up. ✅ Start by swiping down twice from the top of your screen to open up your full Quick Settings panel, then tap the pencil-shaped editing icon and look closely at every single tile in the active area. Here's the rule: If you can't remember the last time you used a button, eliminate it — by touching and holding it and then dragging it into the inactive tile area. I'd be willing to wager there's a bunch o' junk there you rarely to never tap! If you remove something and then find you miss it, you can always drag it back into active status later. But odds are, you'll never even realize it's gone. And now that we've cleared out the clutter, we can think about adding in some extras and making that area of your phone's interface infinitely more useful. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Add some awesome new Quick Settings shortcuts It's all too easy to forget that Android's Quick Settings area is completely customizable — and expandable, too. It can turn into an invaluable home for your own custom shortcuts, if you take the time to build it up accordingly. The challenge, aside from simply remembering that you can expand that area of your phone’s interface, is knowing where to begin. Google doesn’t have any great way to track down and identify apps that offer Quick Settings additions, and even when you have an app with a cool Quick Settings option on your phone, you might not realize it’s there. That's where I come in. ➜ I've searched high and low to find the best, most genuinely useful Quick Settings additions available on Android today. There are some real gems out there and just waiting to be discovered — easy-to-add tiles that can truly change the way you use your phone. ⌚ Each will take you roughly one minute to add in and get going. 📌 Check out [my complete collection](=) and see which seem most useful to you. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Completely customize your Quick Settings interface Little-known fact: In addition to deciding exactly which shortcuts show up in your Quick Settings panel (and adding all sorts of interesting new options into the mix), you can claim complete control over that area of Android and make it look and work any way you want. ➜ It’s basically like using a custom launcher — only for your Quick Settings panel instead of your home screen. And once you know where to look, the possibilities are practically endless. ⌚ You'll need about five minutes to fully explore this final piece of the puzzle and consider your options. 📌 Take a peek at [this eye-opening new guide o' mine]() — and let me know whatcha think. ​ Your photos just got better Supercharge your Android photos with the [Photography Masterclass](. Use code [NEWSLETTER5055]( for 25% off “the camera manual that Google should have written.” [​START THE E-COURSE ➜]( [] ​ [And Just for Funsies...] Halloween may be behind us as of this morning, but Google's got a ghoulish ghost-filled game still waiting to jump out and surprise you. The game is called Magic Cat Academy, and it's the third year Google's whipped up a new version of it to serve as its home page doodle for Halloween week. In this latest edition, it's up to you to help Momo the cat battle her nemesis, Marshmallow the ghost, across the layers of the Earth's atmosphere. [The Google Magic Cat Academy doodle](​ 📌 And while the doodle is now officially done, you can still find it — and the game lurking inside — at [this little-known Google doodle archive](. Happy playing! And may the force be with you. November, here we come... Well, hey — how 'bout that? A whole new month is officially ahead of us. I don't know about you, but I've got a sneaking suspicion we'll find plenty of fun and useful surprises to fill the days. I'll see ya next week. --------------------------------------------------------------- 📊 Last week's poll results: In our previous Android Intelligence reader poll, I asked how long you've owned your current phone. - 23% said less than a year - 27% of you said 1-2 years - 26% said 2-3 years - 13% said 3-4 years - 9% said 4-5 years - And 3% said they've had their current phone for more than five years (!) [A cartoon with an Android robot holding a giant red old-fashioned phone receiver and saying: "Hey, no judgment here. You should see the battery life this thing gets!"] ​ 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications — or [unsubscribe entirely]( from all of our newsletters. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Android Intelligence, Windows Intelligence, or Cool Tools (or all three!). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider](=) to gain access to our one-of-a-kind community, power-packed advanced resources, on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services. Independent journalism relies on you. 🤝 An [Intelligence Insider membership](=) is the best way to support my work and keep this newsletter sustainable. Not ready for a membership? You can also support my work by making a [direct one-time contribution](=) (or contribute via [PayPal]( or [Venmo](=)) to ensure I'm able to keep writing for you long into the future! Published by The Intelligence • 2733 E. Battlefield Rd. #255 • Springfield, MO 65804