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YouTube's latest user interface update isn't the one you were hoping for
Finally, some more consistency for the YouTube app
YouTube is a bit of a weird outlier when it comes to Android app design. While there are some interface inconsistencies among all Google apps, YouTube has long stood out as the app with a much shorter app header, a dated gray status bar, and more diversions from the norm. While its header retains its height for now, YouTube has at least finally added a seamless white status bar to its light theme.
Annoying Android 11 bug prevents apps from going fullscreen
You're gonna get sick of seeing your status icons and navigation bar all the time
Android 11 is over a month old now, but we're still coming across new bugs in the official release. From glitchy media controls to issues with multitasking, the new things introduced in the latest Android aren't all good. The latest bug worth writing about affects mobile gamers in particular, but it's annoying for anyone who uses apps that go fullscreen.
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We'd thought that the latest Android P developer preview wouldn't be seeing very many visual changes given that it's the fourth of its kind, but it looks like we were wrong. DP4 has brought a pretty extensive iconography refresh, removing the fill from icons across the entire interface.
With many connectivity options on our smartphones nowadays, it's easy to see how things can get very crowded on your status bar. LTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC get added to the time, battery level (and percentage), alarms, and maybe DND or hotspot icons to create a super cluttered status bar. Android has been allowing us to customize this in System UI Tuner for a while, and it has also made a few choices like removing the NFC icon when it's not actively transmitting data, even when NFC is on. The same is happening for the Bluetooth icon in Android P.
Many things have changed in Android over the last decade, but one thing has remained the same: the clock has always been on the right of the status bar. Well, no more. In Android P, Google has moved the clock to the left side of the status bar. It's going to take some time to get used to this.
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- If you don't like the padding and you're handy with ADB, the guys over at XDA have made a guide showing how to disable it. To adjust the rounded corners, use this command (26.0 is the default for the 2 XL, and 0 for the 2):
Google had rounded status bar icons in its phones' marketing materials for the Pixel, though the devices came with regular, squared-off icons in reality. But with the introduction of 8.1, we're finally getting legitimately rounded icons in the status bar, even if the change is extremely hard to notice. There's also now padding on the left and right sides of the status bar icons, regardless of whether it's necessary for your particular device.
Google is always making little tweaks to the UI during the developer previews, but there's usually a reason. The new Android O preview inexplicably swaps the cellular and WiFi indicators around in the status bar. It's very weird to see.
If you're not aware, System UI Tuner is a hidden setting in Android that allows some degree of interface customization. It doesn't have as many abilities as custom ROMs, mind you, but still contains some very useful settings. One feature in System UI Tuner allows you to add the battery percentage to the status bar inside the battery icon.
System UI Tuner made its debut in the Android M developer preview, and a little less than a year later it's getting some interesting new additions in version N. It's still activated in the same way: lower the Quick Settings shade and hold the "settings" gear icon for a few seconds. After that, the System UI tuner option will appear in the main Settings menu. We've already examined the new color balance calibration tool and the return of Night Mode, plus the new Quick Settings options, which are now exposed to the user by default. Let's take a look at the new Statusbar options, some of which are new and some of which are carried over from Android M:
Expectations are high for each update to Google's core apps on Android. After all, we know there are going to be a lot of new features announced at I/O in less than 2 weeks. Quite a few apps have recently gone through a Material refresh, and plenty of others have seen smaller changes as they slowly coalesce around the current design guidelines. That appears to be the story with the latest Google App update. The latest version finally enables full screen mode for Google Now on devices using custom launchers.
Back in KitKat, we were introduced to translucent system bars, which gave app developers the ability to make the navigation and status bars semi-transparent. Reclaiming as much of the screen as possible became an obsession for many fans as they demanded their favorite apps go "full bleed." With Android L, Google is treating us to even more flexibility by allowing developers to set their own color for the status bar, or even turning it completely transparent.
Last month we took a look at Google's Android Compatibility Definition Document, which stated that OEMs must use white icons if they're using translucent status bars. This change could provide a more uniform experience across Android devices, something that would be better for consumers and developers alike. But the question remains - will OEMs play ball? Well, the folks at SamMobile have gotten their hands on a leaked Android 4.4 build for the Galaxy S4, and it looks like the answer, at least from the leading Android manufacturer, may be yes.
Floating Notifications brings the usefulness of Facebook chat heads to every Android app that shoots out a notification. Get an email - receive a floating Gmail icon on the side of the screen begging for attention. Tapping that icon reveals the contents of the message. Double tapping dismisses the notification, but there's a catch - before now, removing the floating notification hasn't also removed it from the status bar. Thanks to the latest update, devices running Android 4.3 will sync these actions due to integration with the new Notification Listener Service.