Android 16 could mimic how iOS handles app settings, but it’s not as bad as you think

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Android 16 introduces a new API called SettingsPreferenceService that lets apps contribute their preferences to the Android Settings app. This API lets apps declare which of their own preferences can be read or written by Android Settings, which currently has no ability to control app settings. It’s debatable whether Android developers will actually take advantage of this API, though, as iOS offers a similar API that few iOS developers take advantage of. The Android Settings app is the go-to place for changing device settings, but it’s not typically where users go to change individual app settings. This is because apps generally have their own interfaces for changing settings that are independent of the Android Settings app. Android 16 adds a new API that lets apps integrate their own settings with the Android Settings app, and if this API becomes broadly adopted, it could transform Android Settings into a one-stop shop for both device and a ... Read full article.