How Android's new 'Transiting Mode' could change settings for public transit users automatically

What you need to know

• Android could add a new Mode specifically designed for public transit riders.
• Modes are custom profiles, introduced with Android 15, that can change multiple settings at once based on automatic triggers or manual activation.
• The "Transiting Mode" would change settings automatically when you ride public transit for a "smoother" experience.

Google could be prepping a new Mode for Android 16 that automatically changes your phone settings when you ride on public transit, according to a report from Android Authority. Modes were introduced in Android 15 QPR2 and serve as custom profiles that change things like volume and notification settings. There are currently Modes in Android for Do Not Disturb, Bedtime, and Driving. In a future update, Google could add a "Transiting" mode for commuters.

Android Authority discovered code related to a new Mode in the latest Android Canary release. The so-called Transiting Mode features a "while transiting" trigger that could automatically enable the Mode when your Android phone detects you're on a bus or train. It would work similar to Driving Mode, which has its own triggers based on motion sensors and Bluetooth connections that are used for activation.

Here are the exact code strings that preview a possible Mode for public transit:

<string name="zen_mode_trigger_title_transit">While transiting</string>
<string name="zen_mode_inspiration_transit">Optimize your device for a smoother public transit experience</string>
<string name="zen_mode_blurb_transit">Enjoy a better transit ride with automatic settings adjustments</string>

The Mode will make "automatic settings adjustments," according to the code strings, and "optimize your device for a smoother public transit experience." It's unclear exactly how Transiting Mode will do that. Like other Modes, the system could adjust volume, notification settings, and ring/vibration preferences automatically.

It could tap into other work-in-progress features, like Motion Cues, which have been in the works for over a year. Motion Cues aims to provide visual cues to curb motion sickness, and that's something that could help public transit riders.

When Transiting Mode might publicly release

The next major Android release is Android 16 QPR3, which is tabbed for a March 2026 launch. However, as Transiting Mode is only a work-in-progress feature revealed by code strings, we don't know for sure when it will be released publicly. If the Transiting Mode code eventually appears in the Android 16 QPR3 beta release channel, that could be a good sign it's nearing an official release.

For now, Transiting Mode code has only appeared in the Android Canary release channel, which contains the earliest and most experimental Android developer builds.