Android N Tour: Check out those new quick settings

Google’s Android N developer preview is pretty good, there’s quite a few changes we’re finding as we comb through the OS. I’ve installed the preview on a Nexus 5X and the Pixel C and comparing to a Nexus 6P and Nexus 9. One of the new changes is in the quick settings.

The new quick settings menu allows you to drag down and quickly access a number of settings by swiping down once. Previously in Marshmallow, Google had the date and time as well as a battery notification and of course a Wi-Fi status. In Android N you get a quick settings menu offering quick toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Auto-Rotate and Bluetooth and on devices with a rear flash you get the Flashlight toggle.

As well as on/off toggles you also get quick access to battery stats and Do Not Disturb mode.

Of course you can access the usual Quick Settings panel that you know and love from Marshmallow, but even here there’s been some changes. In Android N you can now hit the edit button at the bottom right of the panel to add settings. By default you can add Data Saver, Invert Colours (from Accessibility mode), HotSpot and Cast. You can also remove some of the Quick Settings that are currently in the main page.

As well as adding and removing icons, the ability to re-arrange the quick settings icon is also there to let you put the icons you use most in the position that’s best for you.

Adding in these additional quick settings adds a second page to the Quick Settings shade, which you can swipe across to access the newly added icons.

Google may add more settings in to the Quick Settings menu – a quick access toggle for VPN would be lovely – but for now that seems to be it.