For years now, Android has been showing application icons in the status bar, to indicate a new notification from an app, in subdued colours. Well, Google is making Android 15 capable of showing those in full colour and monochrome as well.
According to a new report from Android Authority, Android 15’s source code has two new flags for app icons that it can show in the status bar. One replaces the icon supplied by an app for use in the status bar with that app’s full-colour icon that you see on the Play Store, home screen, or app drawer. The other replaces the icon supplied by an app for use in the status bar with that app’s monochrome icon (if it supports adaptive icons). You can check out both of those along with the default option in the images below.
As you can see, full-colour icons make it easier to recognize the app. Monochrome icons seem to have issues with contrast. However, once Google fixes the problem, they might look great, offering a uniform look along with adaptive icons on the home screen or app drawer. It is worth pointing out that the OS can also apply this change to app icons on always-on display (AOD). That means it can show app icons in default, full color, or monochrome look on your phone's or tablet's AOD as well. That's neat.
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If Google decides to move ahead with the change, Android 15 will most likely offer options to go with default icons, monochrome icons, or full-colour icons. Hopefully, Samsung will implement the new feature with its upcoming One UI 7.0.
