With Android 15 now available for all Pixel-eligible devices and other brands sharing their rollout calendars, Google is already working on Android 16, the next major update to the OS. It’s still too early to know all the improvements the company is working on. However, recent findings suggest that Android 16 will revamp the classic “Do Not Disturb” with new customizable “Modes.”
Google would bring back the classic “Profiles” to mobile phones, in its own way
Android 16’s new Modes seem like an advanced version of the “profiles” we had on older mobile phones. If you’re not aware, the “profiles” option allowed you to set different combinations of ringtones, volume, vibration, etc. You could name each profile whatever you wanted. The option was quite useful for quickly setting an ideal configuration for each occasion. For instance, you could muffle ringtones and notifications on a profile named “meeting”.
Interestingly, smartphones gained countless features but lost the profile settings. Developers replaced them with preset options like “Silent” or “Do Not Disturb,” whose customization possibilities are limited. However, Google would change this in the next big Android update with the new “Modes.”
Android 16’s “Modes” seems highly inspired by the “Profiles” option
As spotted by Mishaal Rahman, the “Modes” option seems destined to debut in Android 16. The source spotted the feature in the latest Android 15 QPR1 Beta 3. It’s noteworthy that “Modes” appeared in a previous beta, albeit under the name “Priority Modes.” Just like the “profiles” on old mobile phones, “Modes” allows you to set different combinations of settings to suit different situations.
Within each Mode, users will be able to customize settings such as the mode name, trigger, display settings, notification behavior, and even the icon. There are over 40 icons to choose from, so you can easily differentiate between all your Modes. The “trigger” setting is especially interesting as it suggests that there are Modes that will automatically activate under certain conditions. However, there are no further details on what conditions you can set.
If you enable a Mode, the icon will be present in the status bar. You can access all your modes from the Settings menu or the Quick Settings panel. The feature is quite promising, and many will surely find it useful. Let’s hope Google really plans to implement it in Android 16.
