The first developer preview of Android 16 is now available, and as expected, it introduces new features and changes, some of which Google hasn’t officially highlighted. Among these is a feature called “Even Dimmer,” an enhanced version of the current Extra Dim mode.

We initially uncovered hints of this feature during early preview builds of Android 15, though its functionality remained unclear at the time. By the release of Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2, we were able to activate and confirm how Even Dimmer operates.

The main difference lies in its integration. Unlike Extra Dim, which requires manual activation through Settings > Accessibility or a Quick Settings toggle, Even Dimmer simplifies the process. It integrates directly into the brightness bar, allowing users to reduce screen brightness further by sliding the bar all the way to the left. This additional dimming layer kicks in automatically at the lowest brightness level, eliminating the need to toggle settings separately. To disable it, users simply increase the brightness as usual, making it less likely to remain unintentionally active.

With the introduction of Even Dimmer, Extra Dim will be phased out. Android will remove the Extra Dim shortcut from Quick Settings, encouraging users to transition to the updated feature.

Interestingly, Even Dimmer is not universally available across all Pixel devices running Android 16 Developer Preview 1. While some reports confirmed its presence, our tests showed that it works exclusively on the base Pixel 9. Other models, including the Pixel 6, Pixel 8a, Pixel 8 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro, lacked the feature.

Further investigation revealed that the Pixel 9’s device-specific framework overlay is the only one with the required flag enabled. This inconsistency suggests Google may have intended the feature to be more widely available or withheld it for further testing. The next developer preview might shed light on this.

For now, Even Dimmer is officially live, albeit in a limited capacity, offering a more seamless way to manage screen brightness in dark environments.