Rumor: Google to drastically change Android interface

Google seems to be planning to provide the Android interface with a major update. For example, the application launcher would disappear, while an application list similar to iOS would return. Notifications are also split up and the onscreen buttons are adjusted.

That reports Android Police, which is often the first to publish changes in Android software based on leaked software. According to the site, Google plans to drastically change a number of things about the Android interface. Most notable is the removal of the application launcher; the button that allows the user to open the list of installed applications. This would be replaced by an ‘application grid’, similar to how apps are displayed in iOS.

In addition, the multitasking overview is given a more important place in Android. Anyone who opens the overview with open apps will see this in the form of a ‘pile of cards’. The aforementioned application grid can also be opened from this interface. Furthermore, Google Now can be opened by swiping up at the bottom of the interface.

However, it is still unclear what exactly will happen to the home screen and the placement of widgets: the home button in the new interface has been replaced by a Google button that opens a search screen and it seems that customizable home screens no longer exist in the interface . Whether widgets actually have no place in the new Android interface remains to be seen; according to Android Police, there is still a lot of uncertainty about this.

Android Police has made a mock-up of each of the mentioned new interface elements. The site claims to have copied the images based on how the interface will look. Android Police probably doesn’t want to post screenshots to protect its resources.

According to Android Police, it is not yet entirely clear what Google’s plans are exactly. It is likely that the new interface is still under development and some things may change before the software is released to the general public. It’s also possible that the new interface is reserved for users who have the Now launcher installed; a standalone app that integrates the Google Now search and information system more deeply with the Android software.

The new interface may be an attempt by Google to simplify Android. Although the operating system offers many options for users to customize the interface, few people actually use it. Many smartphone manufacturers offer pre-programmed home screens, which are automatically filled with apps and widgets.

Android Police previously came up with a rumor that Google wants to expand voice support in Android. It should become possible to control third-party apps via voice, with app-specific commands built in by developers. Then the site already showed the new Google button at the bottom of the interface.