Google’s Secret Trick to Uncover Hidden Quick Settings Labels in Android 16 Revealed!

Android 16 shares several visual enhancements with Android 12, including the notable introduction of resizable Quick Settings toggles. Users can now adjust the size of these toggles, but there’s a catch: when you make a toggle smaller, the label disappears. Tapping the toggle reveals the label in the corner of the screen, but this action simultaneously triggers the corresponding setting, which can lead to frustration. As Google’s latest smartphone operating system, currently in beta, Android 16 does not revolutionize the user interface like its predecessor, Android 12.

However, it does present enough visual updates to warrant attention. Many changes appear to draw inspiration from popular third-party Android interfaces such as One UI and OxygenOS. One of the standout features is the ability to resize Quick Settings tiles freely within the notification shade, breaking away from the rigid formats enforced in previous versions. Previously, users were constrained to large squares for the first two toggles and a massive square for the third, leaving smaller, circular icons for the rest.

With Android 16, users now have the flexibility to designate the size of each tile according to their preference. However, reducing the size of a tile means losing its label, which could be problematic, particularly when it comes to frequently accessed settings. A recent discovery by a Telegram user showed that tapping smaller, unlabeled tiles reveals their names in the active apps section of Quick Settings. While the flashing label effectively draws attention, the simultaneous activation of the toggle can create confusion.

For example, tapping the small screen recording toggle might trigger the function, complicating the user’s intent to merely identify the setting. It would improve usability if Google allowed a different method, such as a triple-tap, to reveal the label without triggering the setting. Alternatively, implementing a shorter tap-and-hold timeout could help users identify tiles without activating them. Even though the current approach to identifying unlabeled tiles is effective, there’s hope for further optimization as Android 16 moves toward its stable release.