Just as the Android 15 stable release is rolling out to dozens of devices, Google is looking ahead to the next version, Android 16.
Google showcased dozens of new features in the Android 15 beta testing phase, but like in previous years, not all features made it to the stable build. Either they're not fully ready, or Google decided to hold back features until later releases. This was the case with the predictive back gesture, which showed up initially in the Android 13 beta but is only rolling out widely with Android 15.
Google is changing how it handles Android releases, and that starts with Android 16 — the public-facing Beta 1 is now available three months in advance, and the stable build should be available sometime in Q2 2025, significantly sooner than previous years.
Which devices will get Android 16?
Android 16 will make its way to more devices than just about any other Android version. With most brands now offering at least three Android OS updates to their budget and mid-range phones, Android 16 will be available to most devices launched in the last two years. Budget phones have been ignored for far too long, and the fact that they're starting to get long-term updates is a big deal.
When it comes to Google's own devices, all Pixels, starting with the Pixel 6 series, will be able to switch to Android 16. That technically leaves out the Pixel 5 and all older Pixels, but these devices will continue to get feature updates and security patches.
With Google now guaranteeing seven years of software updates — even on the mid-range Pixel 8a — updates aren't going to be a problem in the future.
What is Android 16's internal codename?
Google used dessert names with Android versions in the past, and while it doesn't do so any longer — that ended with Android 10 — it still maintains internal codenames. Android 15 was Vanilla Ice Cream, and with Android 16, you'd assume Google to go with a dessert that starts with the letter W, like waffle.
Instead, Android 16 has an internal codename dubbed Baklava. Google is changing how it assigns the codenames for Android releases, and while it's still maintaining dessert-based monikers, it effectively started over.
New features coming to Android 16
Android 16 is now in Beta 1, so if you have a Pixel lying around, you can actually install it right now. Note that even though this is a public beta build, it is very buggy, and I wouldn't recommend installing it on your main phone.
Right now, there isn't much in the way of new features that necessitate a switch to Android 16. Devs can use the native photo picker in their own apps, Google is rolling out a new version of the Privacy Sandbox, and there are new APIs within Health Connect.
The big changes in Beta 1 include the ability to automatically adapt apps to fit foldables and other devices; this should go a long way in addressing lingering issues with wasted real estate on fold-out devices. Basically, the UI you're using on the cover panel will scale seamlessly to the inner panel without any intervention.
Live Updates is a new class of notification that shows real-time updates. This is designed to be used with ride-sharing services, navigation, and food delivery. The feature is similar to what OnePlus offers in OxygenOS in India, with food delivery status updated in real-time on the lock screen.
Google is integrating the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec into Android, and it should allow phones to take much better videos. Devices like the Vivo X200 Pro have massive imaging modules and can take outstanding photos, but video recording continues to be a limitation, and this should address the issue.
The codec unlocks high throughput intra-frame-only coding, perceptually lossless video quality, high bit-rate even when shooting in 4K and 8K, decoding and re-encoding without visual degradation, HDR10+, and multi-view video. Google is integrating APV 422-10 Profile into Android 16 with YUV 422 color sampling, 10-bit encoding, and bitrates going up to 2Gbps.
While those are the new features that debuted in Beta 1, I'm including the features that showed up in previous betas that didn't end up on the stable build.
Notification cooldown turns down the noise
Notification cooldown is a great new feature that lowers the volume of incoming notifications when you get successive notifications from within the same app. So, if you're in a group chat and start getting constant notifications, your phone automatically lowers the volume of subsequent notifications.
What's great is that you can select this setting for conversations or all apps. As someone who doesn't like getting many notification alerts (I use DND most of the day), I think this is a great new addition and one that I will use to good effect.
An actual desktop mode
Samsung has DeX mode on its high-end devices, but the brand is an outlier in this regard, and most Android devices don't have a desktop mode. That may change with Android 16; later Android 15 beta builds had a desktop mode with app windows, and while it isn't available in the stable build, it's clear that Google is working on enabling a desktop mode in Android.
Samsung's desktop mode feature is still much better; the brand has been tweaking DeX for nearly half a decade now, and it is a mature platform. That said, I'm very excited to see a native desktop mode make its way to Android 16.
Limit charging to 80%
This feature was available in the Android 15 beta, but there's no mention of it in the stable release. The charging optimization mode is in the Android 15 QPR1 build, so Google will likely roll it out with that update, or push it to the wider Android 16 release.
As the name suggests, the feature allows you to limit the battery to 80%, prolonging its longevity considerably. While a few manufacturers have this feature in their own skin, it makes to see it baked into Android natively.
Audio sharing should be easier in Android 16
Another new feature that showed up in the initial Android 15 betas but isn't available in the stable release is the ability to cast music to several Bluetooth devices at the same time. The Audio sharing sub-menu is located within the Connected devices page, and it lets you cast music to more than one Bluetooth device at a time. I really wanted to see this feature in Android 15, but given how buggy it was, it's clear that Google is likely pushing it to next year.
Android 16 is coming soon
With an initial preview available earlier than ever before, it's clear that Google wants to roll out the stable version of Android 16 well ahead of time. The reasoning is clear: with the Pixel launch accelerated, it makes sense that Google is moving up the Android 16 timeline as well.
Last year's Pixel 9 devices came with Android 14 — same as the Pixel 8 — and it's obvious that Google wants to have its latest phones run the latest Android version out of the box.
Based on Google's release schedule, the beta should end after April. The company has already shared its plans to release the next major Android update in Q2 2025, meaning the stable update could arrive in May or June. After that, Google plans to release another "minor" SKD update, which is expected to land in Q4, so anywhere from October to December 2025.
Ready for Android 16
The Pixel 9 Pro is the latest flagship from Google meaning it will be among the first to get the latest Android software and features. That means when Android 16 comes around, it'll be ready.
