Android 16

Last updated

Android 16
Version of the Android operating system
Android 16 Developer Preview Logo.svg
Developer Google
OS family Android
Source model Open-source software
Latest preview Beta 1 / January 23, 2025;1 day ago (2025-01-23)
Kernel type Monolithic Kernel (Linux Kernel)
Preceded by Android 15
Official website developer.android.com/about/versions/16
Support status
Beta Version

Android 16 is the upcoming major release of Android. The first developer preview was released on November 19, 2024. [1] The first beta was released on January 23, 2025 [2] . Google expects the final version to be released in the second quarter of 2025. [3]

Contents

History

Android 16 is internally codenamed "Baklava". [4] This naming choice marks a departure from the traditional alphabetical order of dessert-themed codenames which had been a hallmark of earlier Android versions. [5] The shift to "Baklava" reflect Google's recent changes in its development approach, particularly its "Trunk Stable Project", which streamlined build processes and naming conventions starting with Android 14. [6]

The first developer preview (also known as DP1) for Android 16 was released on 19 November 2024. A second developer preview was released on 18 December 2024. The first beta was released on 23 January 2025. [2]

Features

The official release notes state that the following features will be introduced in Android 16: [3]

Embedded photo picker

The Android photo picker has been significantly enhanced to include support for cloud-based media services like Google Photos. Users can seamlessly select photos stored in their cloud accounts, eliminating the need to switch between apps. Additionally, the picker integrates cloud albums alongside local content, offering a unified and streamlined experience. As Android 16 source code suggest the embedded picker can now respond to configuration changes like the screen orientation or theme changing, can hide the overflow menu and preview features, the picker now includes the selection bar and snack bar, and can be expanded or collapsed. [7] Additionally, the picker now includes search functionality, enabling users to search for specific photos and videos within their local and cloud storage. [8]

Health records

Android 16 introduces enhanced functionality in Health Connect, allowing apps to access and manage medical data through a new set of APIs. The initial developer preview includes support for writing medical records in FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) format, a standardized method for managing electronic health records across different healthcare systems. This feature currently focuses on immunization records, with plans to expand support for lab results, medications, and more. Apps can utilize permissions such as android.permission.health.READ_MEDICAL_DATA_IMMUNIZATION and android.permission.health.WRITE_MEDICAL_DATA to interact with this data, with explicit user consent required. [9]

Privacy Sandbox on Android

Privacy Sandbox on Android 16 continues Google's effort to redefine online advertising with stronger user privacy. The feature limits tracking mechanisms by utilizing anonymized data and local processing to deliver personalized content without compromising user privacy. This advancement ensures compliance with evolving data regulations while maintaining robust support for advertising ecosystems. [3]

However, enthusiasts have discovered the existence of other under-development features that may be released in later developer preview versions. These features include the following.

Audio sharing

Android 16 introduces an innovative Audio Sharing feature utilizing Bluetooth LE Audio's Auracast technology. This allows users to stream audio to multiple Bluetooth devices simultaneously, such as headphones or speakers, without complex pairing processes. It is particularly useful for sharing audio in group settings, ensuring all participants can listen on their individual devices. To use this feature, both the source device and receiving devices must support Bluetooth LE Audio. [10]

Notification cooldown

The notification cooldown feature in Android 16 aims to reduce distractions from rapid notification bursts. When multiple notifications are received in quick succession, this feature temporarily lowers the notification sound and minimizes alerts for up to two minutes. This adjustment does not affect priority notifications like calls or alarms, allowing users to maintain focus while still receiving critical updates. The feature is part of Android 16's broader efforts to enhance user experience through thoughtful notification management. [11] n

Adaptive apps

To ensure seamless functionality across various devices and screen sizes, Android 16 is removing the ability for apps to restrict screen orientation and resizability on large screens. This change encourages developers to create adaptive apps that adjust fluidly to different display dimensions and orientations. Initially, in 2025, this will affect apps targeting API level 36 on devices with screens wider than 600dp, with an opt-out option available. By 2026, the policy will extend to apps targeting API level 37, eliminating the opt-out provision. [12]

Live Updates

Android 16 introduces "Live Updates," a new class of notifications designed to help users monitor and quickly access important ongoing activities. The new ProgressStyle notification template provides a consistent user experience for Live Updates, helping developers build for progress-centric user journeys such as rideshare, delivery, and navigation. It includes support for custom icons for start, end, and current progress tracking, segments and points, user journey states, milestones, and more. [2]

APV codec support

Android 16 introduces support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, designed for professional-level high-quality video recording and post-production. The APV codec standard offers features such as YUV 422 color sampling, 10-bit encoding, and target bitrates of up to 2 Gbps. A reference implementation is provided through the OpenAPV project. [2]

Vertical text rendering

To better support languages that utilize vertical writing systems, such as Japanese, Android 16 adds low-level support for rendering and measuring text vertically. A new flag, VERTICAL_TEXT_FLAG, has been added to the Paint class. When this flag is set, Paint’s text measurement APIs will report vertical advances instead of horizontal ones, and Canvas will draw text vertically. [2]

Development

The first developer preview of Android 16 was released on November 19, 2024. A second developer preview was released on December 18, 2024. The first beta was released on January 23, 2025. The final stable version of Android 16 is scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2025. [4]

Unlike previous versions, Android 16 will be released earlier in the year. Notably, Android 16 will have two separate SDK releases. The first SDK will include behaviour changes, along with new APIs and features, while the second SDK will focus primarily on the introduction of new APIs and features. The first SDK is expected to be released in March 2025 along with the 3rd beta version of Android 16, while the second SDK is expected to be released in forth quarter of 2025. Google has stated that this change is part of their ongoing effort to accelerate innovation in apps and devices. [3]

Android 16 release timeline
TimelineBuildType
November 19, 2024Developer Preview 1Early baseline build focused on developer feedback, with some new features, APIs, and behavior changes.
December 18, 2024Developer Preview 2Incremental update with additional features, APIs, and behavior changes.
January 23, 2025Beta 1Initial beta-quality release, over-the-air update to early adopters who enroll in Android Beta.
February 2025Beta 2Incremental Beta-quality release.
Platform Stability
March 2025Beta 3First platform stability milestone including final APIs and behaviors. Play publishing also opens.
April / May 2025Beta 4Near-final builds for final testing.
July 2025Final releaseAndroid 16 release to AOSP and ecosystem.
Source: [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android 13</span> Thirteenth major version of the Android mobile operating system

Android 13 is the thirteenth major release and the 20th version of Android, the mobile operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google. It was released to the public and the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) on August 15, 2022. The first devices to ship with Android 13 were the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.

Android 15 is the fifteenth major release and the 22nd version of Android, the mobile operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance and led by Google. The first developer preview was released on February 16, 2024, the first beta was released on April 11, 2024, and the final source code was released on September 3, 2024. Android 15 was released for Google Pixel devices on October 15, 2024.

The version history of the Android mobile operating system began with the public release of its first beta on November 5, 2007. The first commercial version, Android 1.0, was released on September 23, 2008. The operating system has been developed by Google on a yearly schedule since at least 2011. New major releases are announced at Google I/O in May along with beta testing with the stable version usually released to the public between August and October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android Ice Cream Sandwich</span> Ninth version of the Android operating system

Android Ice Cream Sandwich was the fourth major version of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google. Unveiled on October 19, 2011, Android 4.0 built upon the significant changes made by the tablet-only release Android Honeycomb, in an effort to create a unified platform for both smartphones and tablets. The first phone with Android Ice Cream Sandwich was Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android Jelly Bean</span> Tenth version of the Android operating system

Android Jelly Bean is the codename given to the tenth version of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google, spanning three major point releases. Among the devices that launched with Android 4.1 to 4.3 are the Nexus 7 (2012), Nexus 4, Nexus 10, Nexus 7 (2013), and Hyundai Play X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android Studio</span> Integrated development environment for the Android platform

Android Studio is the official integrated development environment (IDE) for Google's Android operating system, built on JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA software and designed specifically for Android development. It is available for download on Windows, macOS and Linux based operating systems. It is a replacement for the Eclipse Android Development Tools (E-ADT) as the primary IDE for native Android application development. Android Studio is licensed under the Apache license but it ships with some SDK updates that are under a non-free license, making it not open source.

Google Cast is a proprietary protocol developed by Google for playing locally stored or Internet-streamed audiovisual content on a compatible consumer device. The protocol is used to initiate and control playback of content on digital media players, high-definition televisions, and home audio systems using a mobile device, personal computer, or smart speaker. The protocol was first launched on July 24, 2013, to support Google's first-generation Chromecast player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Phone 8.1</span> Third generation of Microsofts Windows Phone mobile operating system

Windows Phone 8.1 is the third generation of Microsoft Mobile's Windows Phone mobile operating system, succeeding Windows Phone 8. It was based on Windows 8.1. Rolled out at Microsoft's Build Conference in San Francisco, California on April 2, 2014, it was released in final form to Windows Phone developers on April 14, 2014 and reached general availability on August 4, 2014. All Windows Phones running Windows Phone 8 can be upgraded to Windows Phone 8.1, with release dependent on carrier rollout dates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android Lollipop</span> Fifth major version of the Android operating system

Android Lollipop is the fifth major version of the Android mobile operating system developed by Google and the 12th version of Android, spanning versions between 5.0 and 5.1.1.

Android Marshmallow is the sixth major version of the Android operating system developed by Google, being the successor to Android Lollipop. It was announced at Google I/O on May 28, 2015, and released the same day as a beta, before being officially released on September 29, 2015. It was succeeded by Android Nougat on August 22, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android Cupcake</span> Third major release of Android

Android Cupcake is the third version of the Android operating system, developed by Google, being the successor to Android 1.1. It was released on April 27, 2009 and succeeded by Android Donut on September 15, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android Nougat</span> Seventh major version of the Android operating system

Android Nougat is the seventh major version and 14th original version of the Android operating system. First released as an alpha test version on March 9, 2016, it was officially released on August 22, 2016, with Nexus devices being the first to receive the update.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android Oreo</span> Eighth major version of the Android mobile operating system

Android Oreo is the eighth major release and the 15th version of the Android mobile operating system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android Pie</span> Ninth major version of the Android mobile operating system

Android Pie, also known as Android 9 is the ninth major release and the 16th version of the Android mobile operating system. It was first released as a developer preview on March 7, 2018, and was released publicly on August 6, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android 10</span> Tenth major version of the Android mobile operating system

Android 10 is the tenth major release and the 17th version of the Android mobile operating system. It was first released as a developer preview on March 13, 2019, and was released publicly on September 3, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android 11</span> Eleventh major version of the Android mobile operating system

Android 11 is the eleventh major release and 18th version of Android, the mobile operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google. It was released on September 8, 2020. The first phone launched in Europe with Android 11 was the Vivo X51 5G and after its full stable release, the first phone in the world which came with Android 11 was Google Pixel 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android 12</span> Twelfth major version of the Android mobile operating system

Android 12 is the twelfth major release and 19th version of Android, the mobile operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google. The first beta was released on May 18, 2021. Android 12 was released publicly on October 4, 2021, through Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and was released to supported Google Pixel devices on October 19, 2021. As of April 2024, it is the oldest Android version still supported via source code patches.

The version history of the HarmonyOS distributed operating system began with the public release of the HarmonyOS 1.0 for Honor Vision smart TVs on August 9, 2019. The first expanded commercial version of the Embedded, IoT AI, Edge computing based operating system, HarmonyOS 2.0, was released on June 2, 2021, for phones, tablets, smartwatches, smart speakers, routers, and internet of things. Beforehand, DevEco Studio, the HarmonyOS app development IDE, was released in September 2020 together with the HarmonyOS 2.0 Beta. HarmonyOS is developed by Huawei. New major releases are announced at the Huawei Developers Conference (HDC) in the fourth quarter of each year together with the first public beta version of the operating system's next major version. The next major stable version is then released in the third to fourth quarter of the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Android 14</span> Version of Android mobile operating system

Android 14 is the fourteenth major release and the 21st version of Android, the mobile operating system developed by the Open Handset Alliance led by Google. Both the Google & AOSP versions were released to the public on October 4, 2023. The first devices to ship with Android 14 were the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

HarmonyOS NEXT is a proprietary distributed operating system and a major iteration of HarmonyOS, developed by Huawei to support only HarmonyOS native apps. The operating system is primarily aimed at software and hardware developers that deal directly with Huawei. It does not include Android's AOSP core and is incompatible with Android applications.

References

  1. ↑ Weatherbed, Jess (November 19, 2024). "Android 16 is now available for early testers". The Verge. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "The First Beta of Android 16". Android Developers Blog. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "The First Developer Preview of Android 16". Android Developers Blog. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Android 16: Confirmed features, codename, leaks, release date, and everything else we know so far". Android Authority. November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  5. ↑ "This is Android 16's codename — and it's not what you're expecting". Android Authority. September 30, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  6. ↑ "How Android feature development is changing with Trunk Stable". Android Faithful. November 15, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  7. ↑ Rahman, Mishaal (November 19, 2024). "Android 16 will make the Photo Picker feel more integrated in apps". Android Police. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  8. ↑ "The Second Developer Preview of Android 16". Android Developers Blog. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  9. ↑ Rahman, Mishaal (November 19, 2024). "Health Connect is adding support for medical records in Android 16". Android Police. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Android 16 will let you share audio to multiple Bluetooth devices at once". Android Authority. November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Android 16's notification cooldown feature will save you from notification spam". Android Authority. November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  12. ↑ "The future is adaptive: Changes to orientation and resizability APIs in Android 16". Android Developers Blog. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Android 16 Preview". Android Developers. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.