Google could change up how Android shows notifications in the status bar
 

• Google is considering changing which icons Android will use to show notifications in the status bar, notifications shelf, and always-on display.
• The company is experimenting with using apps main icons instead of their custom ones for notifications.
• Its unclear if Google will move forward with this change, but heres what it would look like if the company did.

The way that Android handles app notifications is one of its most important characteristics, which many believe is superior to Apples approach with iOS. However, theres always room for improvement, which is why Google is performing multiple experiments to see if it can make its own system on Android even better. The latest experiment in Android 15 involves switching up the icons used for notifications.

After Google uploaded the source code for Android 15 to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) last week, Ive been digging through for clues about upcoming features and changes. While looking through the notification code, I discovered several flags for an experiment that replaces the notification icon in the status bar, always-on display (AOD), and notifications shelf. One flag replaces the app-supplied icons with the apps main icons, while the other replaces them with the apps monochrome icon, if a themed icon is available.




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