Software releases and UI updates are central aspects of using any hardware long-term, so it’s reasonable to be excited about any upcoming changes. There is often a lot more clarity surrounding Android 16’s release date and overall beta testing strategy, unlike with Samsung’s One UI 7 release plans, but there are still many unknown factors that keep us guessing at what’s to come. The Android 16 beta tests have officially begun, after two rounds of developer reviews in November and December.
So what’s new in Android 16? The OS release looks to be focusing on adaptive app capabilities, but there are also some camera and media updates, accessibility changes, and more structural edits to how the OS performs and how it adopts AI. It’s time to break down the Android 16 update in greater detail.
Android 16 Release Date: What Does Google’s Launch Timeline Look Like?
Google is typically known for scheduling its Android OS releases around the third quarter of the year but the company is trying something different this time. The Android 16 release date has reportedly been scheduled for the May-June 2025 period.
The first round of the Android 16 beta tests began in January, and the second round is scheduled for February. Incremental Beta-quality releases will allow the developers to correct any issues noted by testers and check for further compatibility.
The Beta release timeline planned by Google shows that it expects to reach its Platform Stability goals by March 3, 2025. This will include final compatibility testing for apps, SDKs, and libraries, following which developers can be alerted to any lingering issues.
The April-May period will be reserved for the final testing, following which it will be released. This puts the Android 16 release date between the May-June period, with some leakers suggesting a June 3 deadline.
What Devices are Eligible to Participate in the Android 16 Beta?
If you’re interested in participating in the Android 16 beta testing, you need an eligible Pixel device to get the Android 16 Beta over-the-air (OTA) updates. The list of eligible devices starts all the way from the Pixel 6 series, so if you’re a developer planning to get a headstart on familiarizing yourself with the OS, here are the devices you can use:
- Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7 and 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Tablet
- Pixel 8 and 8 Pro
- Pixel 8a
- Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold
What’s New in Android 16? Everything You Need to Know About Google’s OS Plans
The Android 16 update has a few new interesting changes that will primarily help app developers customize their content for the various devices running on the OS. Exploring the Android 16 features a little further will keep you in the loop on what to expect.
Android Adaptive Apps
Smartphones are expanding, shrinking, flipping, and folding, and all of these changing form factors result in differing screen sizes. Previously, developers could lock themselves into a specific screen orientation and prevent resizing to avoid any distorting of the content on the app.
Now, Android 16 is set to remove the ability for apps targeting API 36 or higher to restrict the screen orientation and resizable on screens that are wider than 600dp (density-independent pixels). While this means more work for app developers, users will benefit from a better, more consistent, experience across their devices.
Android 16 Features Live Updates
Live updates on apps that are running in the background are set to get an upgrade through the “ProgressStyle” notification template. The new system will allow food delivery, ridesharing, and navigation apps to provide better notifications to users. The improvements should include custom icons for different phases of the transaction, visual representations of progress, milestones, etc.
APV Codec Support
The Android 16 beta is addressing APV (Advanced Professional Video) video codec support for high-quality recording. The standard should feature “perceptually lossless video quality” with support for a high bit-rate range of up to a few Gbps for 2K, 4K, and 8K resolution content, enabled by a lightweight entropy coding scheme. Videos should be easier to edit while also being less demanding on the hardware, focusing on intra-framing coding.
The new Android 16 features should also include frame tiling to help with immersive content and parallel processing to speed things up. There is also multi-view and auxiliary video functioning as well as HDR10/10+ capabilities lined up. Android 16 supports the APV 422-10 profile, using YUV 4:2:2 color sampling with 10-bit encoding and target bitrates up to 2 Gbps.
The night shooting mode is also expected to get a boost.
The Android 16 Update also Supports Accessibility
Accessibility features are always one of the most valuable updates we can see in any operating system. Google’s Android 16 release date should bring with it added support for supplemental descriptions of settings to make it easier for users to understand controls on their screen.
There is also support for the identification of “required” fields in any forms that users need to fill out on their Android devices.
Vertical Text Support on Android 16
This feature will have more use for only some languages with vertical alphabets but it is useful all the same. The OS will add support for rending and outputting certain languages like Japanese with “foundational vertical writing support for library developers.”
Gemini Extensions Similar to that of the Samsung S25 Series
Samsung made a big show of its Gemini extensions across various apps on the device such as the Calendar, Notes, Reminder, and Clock. This level of integration should be possible on other Android devices as well. How this will take shape remains to be seen, but other OS providers who build on Android 16 should be able to take advantage of the update.
In a contrary vein, developers may also be able to opt out of supporting AI writing tools where they do not feel it is necessary for their apps and services.
Other Android 16 Features to Look Out For
Devices operating on Android 16 and higher should be aware that “health and fitness permissions are transitioning to a more granular set of permissions,” that are used by Health Connect. The service will also add a new “ACTIVITY_INTENSITY” data type as defined by WHO guidelines.
Developers will also be able to take advantage of the new APIs related to the embedded photo picker, allowing them to customize it to their preferences without compromising the security of the user. They will also be able to capitalize on the APIs to make the most of the Adaptive Refresh Rate (ARR) capabilities and predictive back support on Android phones. There are additional security measures that developers will be able to optimize with the upcoming update.
As the Android 16 beta tests progress, we should hear more about how the tests are faring and what shape the changes are taking this time around. Developers will have to stay on their toes to ensure they are able to keep up with the new customizations available to them, to ensure their apps don’t become outdated or unusable with the arrival of the new update.
As we get closer to the Android 16 release date, we’ll have more details to offer on the progress being made, so keep your eyes on this space to know more. While you’re at it, subscribe to Technowize for the latest innovations in the tech space.
