- A new layout for the pixel lock screen has been viewed
- Parts of the widget on a glance could be repositioned
- The full Android 16 -Update is expected to land during June
With Android 16, which now quickly comes across the horizon and right after our phones, we learn more and more about the features it will bring – including potentially a renewed design for the lock screen on pixel units.
This comes from a certain digging that Android Authority has done in the latest beta for Android 16. These changes are not live yet, but they are hidden away in the code and the team on Android Authority has managed to make them work.
In general, it is a cleaner, more minimalist look for the lock screen: the practical small AT-A-glance widget that Google puts on its pixel phones that show information such as upcoming calendar agreements and the current date is being re-enabled.
This widget can be really useful for displaying relevant information without the lock screen to be unlocked, so it is important that it is easily readable and accessible. It is not yet clear whether this new layout can be configured in any way.
Layout changes
What the new lock screen looks like depends on what is displayed. If there are no messages or widgetinfo excerpts (as a upcoming calendar event), the widget’s date and time move down the clock, from its current upper -left corner position.
If there is info excerpts in the widget about events, timers or something else, these remain in the upper left corner where they are currently. It makes sense that these details may need a little more prominent in the overall layout.
If there are app messages on the screen, the clock will change to the top and the info excerpts are under, which is what is happening now. However, the date and the weather move to the right of the clock rather than under it.
It gives you a little more space under the clock for incoming messages – which is useful, especially if you get many of them coming in. Android 16 is expected around June and we should hear more about it on Google I/O 2025 next month.