When the Marshmallow preview launched in 2015, it brought a menu of customization options in Settings called System UI Tuner. It was a preview of the features still being worked on; the menu could be found under the System heading. However, once the third preview came along and stopped making it something. You could accidentally stumble upon changing it to a hidden menu that needs to be activated through a deliberate process. And it’s still there, hidden away from casual users. As you might have guessed, the Status bar tab does the same across most versions. Tap on it, and you’ll see a page of toggles representing each icon in the status bar. Tired of staring at the same icons daily? You can turn some or all of them off to stop them from appearing. Marshmallow’s Embedded battery percentage option can be found at the bottom of the Status bar tab in Nougat. Let’s see how much juice you have left via a tiny number inside the icon. Marshmallow’s Demo mode might not be as valuable, however, unless you’re a developer or a tech journalist who takes a lot of screenshots. It strips the status bar of notification icons and ensures the battery icon is fully charged. In Nougat, it moved to the Developer options tab.
Gear Trip
Nougat’s Do not disturb settings are relatively straightforward. Inside the tab, you’ll find two options: Shown with a volume control shortcut. Turn the first one on, and you’ll see a Do not disturb switch whenever you raise or lower the volume. Toggle the second you’ll be able to quickly turn on DND by reducing the volume and pressing the volume down button one more time. The final option, Other, hides the setting for the most exciting UI tweak, power notification controls. Turn it on, and it will add a slider to the individual app settings inside the Notifications settings. Divided into six levels, intended to give granular control over the notifications. You receive, from blocking all alerts to preventing full-screen interruptions peeking in. At one time, the Other tab also included a toggle enabling a split-screen swipe-up gesture. That’s kind of the point with the System UI Tuner. Any updates or options can be added or taken away. It’s one of those fun elements provided to users in the know, like those cat Easter eggs; once you activate it, you’ll likely never want to turn it off. But if you ever want to, it’s much easier to find. First, tap the three dots in the right corner and select Remove from Settings.
