Google Working on Major UI Changes for Live Updates & Translate Shortcuts

Google is currently working on fine-tuning the Android interface to boost user interaction. The company focuses on two main aspects, starting with much-needed polish for “Live Updates,” the real-time notification system introduced to Android last year. On the other hand, Google Translate seems to be experimenting with new home screen widgets that have left early testers scratching their heads.

Redesigning Android’s Live Updates progress bars

If you use Android 16, you are likely familiar with Live Updates—those pill-shaped notifications that track your food delivery or ride-hailing progress near the top of your screen. In the latest “Canary” builds, Google is giving this feature a more professional finish.

The most noticeable change (spotted by Android Authority) is the layout. By moving the app icon to the top of the tile rather than the side, Google has cleared enough space for the progress bar to stretch across the entire width of the notification. This makes it much easier to see exactly how far along your task is at a quick glance. Additionally, the action buttons have evolved from simple text links to more defined, pill-shaped borders. While subtle, these tweaks make the interface feel more intentional and less like a work in progress.

Below you can see three examples of the old vs. new UI under testing:

The mystery of the new Translate widgets

While Live Updates are getting more efficient, Google Translate is taking a more experimental—and currently awkward—path. Internal code reveals five new widgets designed to give users direct access to features like camera translation, live conversation, and practice tools.

The strange part? These new widgets currently function more like oversized shortcuts than actual widgets. Instead of showing live information—like your most recent translation or a quick language toggle—they are static 2×2 tiles with a tiny icon in the middle of a lot of empty space. For a system that usually prides itself on “Material You” design and making the most of home screen real estate, these feel like a step backward compared to the app shortcuts we’ve had since Android 7.1.

It is important to remember that these changes are still in the testing phase. The polished Live Updates might arrive with the stable version of Android 17, while the Translate widgets could undergo a complete redesign before they ever see the light of day.

Google often uses these early builds to test how layouts scale across different devices. It is very likely that the current “empty” widgets are just placeholders for richer, more interactive content that will be added later.

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