Android 16 release date, supported devices and must-know features
The next big chapter in mobile operating systems has been written. We barely had the time to get ourselves familiar with Android 15, and its successor - Android 16 has now landed on Pixel devices.
After Google already released a couple of Beta previews of its next Android version (you can also check out our detailed Android 16 vs Android 15 article) the stable version started rolling out to Pixels on June 11.
Today we're going to systematically offer you everything we know about Android 16, including its codename, possible stable release date, all the new features, and the supported devices that will get the update first.
So, without further ado, let's check everything we know about Android 16.
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Android 16 release date
Android 16 will cаme out on June 11, 2025. Google confirmed when the rollout of the stable version of Android 16 will be starting during the May's edition of the Google I/O event. Here's how the release dates of the previous two Android version look like next to Android 16.
| Version | Date |
|---|---|
| Android 16 | June 11, 2025 |
| Android 15 | October 15, 2024 |
| Android 14 | October 4, 2023 |
The company’s president of the Android Ecosystem, Sameer Samat, told journalists and other attendees at the May's edition of the Google I/O event that they should “watch out for updates coming to your Pixel devices starting next month,” meaning we're gearing up for a stable release sometime in June.
The first developer preview for Android 16 landed on 19 November 2024, and one month later, on 18 December 2024, a second developer preview followed suit. These initial previews were followed by the Beta releases.
Android 16 codename
The codename for Android 16 was Baklava. Google has followed a strict internal naming convention for all its software and hardware development projects. That's the reason why people expected the codename for Android 16 to begin with the W. The codename for the last Android version was called Vanilla Ice Cream, and the next letter in the alphabet is W.
Of course, we already know that Android 16 was internally called Baklava; the name can be found in the code of the first developer preview. Baklava is a Turkish pastry dessert made from fine layers of filo dough and crushed walnuts or other varieties of nuts between the layers.
Android 16 beta program
Android 16 roadmap | Image by Android Developers
The first Android 16 Beta was released on 23 January 2025, with the second beta releasing shortly after on 13 February 2025. One month later, just a couple of days ago on 13 March 2025, Google officially released the third Android 16 Beta.
Android 16 Timeline
| Version | Date |
|---|---|
| Android 16.0 Developer Preview 1 | November 19, 2024 |
| Android 16.0 Developer Preview 2 | December 18, 2024 |
| Android 16.0 Beta 1 | January 23, 2025 |
| Android 16.0 Beta 2 | February 13, 2025 |
| Android 16.0 Beta 3 | March 13, 2025 |
| Android 16.0 Beta 4 | April 17, 2025 |
| Android 16.0 Beta 4.1 | May 13, 2025 |
| Android 16 | June 11, 2025 |
There's a roadmap on Google's official Android Developers site, and as you can see in the table above.
Android 16 Beta: How to enroll
You can get an early taste of Android 16 by enrolling in the Android Beta program, but bear in mind that this poses some risk of instabilities and bugs. Here's what you need to do:
- Visit the Android Beta Program website: Navigate to the official Android Beta Program website.
- Log in: Sign in with the Google account associated with your Pixel device.
- Locate your device: Scroll down or click "View your eligible devices" to find the Pixel you want to enroll.
- Opt in: Click or tap the "+ Opt in" button next to your device.
- Review and accept terms: Read the Android Beta Program Terms of Service and click "Confirm and enroll".
Android 16 supported devices
We're now in the stable Android 16 version of the release cycle, so we have the list of devices, eligible for the the rollout. You can find the list below.
When it comes to other manufacturers, Samsung will be next in line to roll Android 16 out to its flagship phones. Here's a quick list of which Samsung devices are expected to get Android 16 first:
Of course, all Android flagships from different brands that are within their software support cycle will also get Android 16 in the weeks or months following the initial rollout to Pixel phones.
Android 16 new features
The stable Android 16 version is finally here, so we can take a closer look at some of the new features.
Progress-centric notifications
Progress-centric notifications | Image by Android Developers
Google is adding new progress-centric notifications to Android 16. These include rideshare, delivery, and navigation use cases; for example, you'll be able to see your progress toward a destination right in the notification shade.
Predictive back updates
This feature is aimed at making Android 16 navigation faster and smoother. What predictive back updates mean is that your phone will be able to predict when you start to swipe from the side of your phone to go back, or from the bottom to land on the home screen, and trigger the necessary animations and behaviors faster.
Richer haptics
Google is giving more control over the haptic motors of Android phones with this feature. Here's an excerpt from Google's description: "Android 16 adds haptic APIs that let apps define the amplitude and frequency curves of a haptic effect while abstracting away differences between device capabilities."
What it actually means is that Android 16 apps will have the option to behave very differently regarding haptic feedback. We expect this feature to affect games the most (think of different vibrations for different actions in games), but there are other use cases, too.
What it actually means is that Android 16 apps will have the option to behave very differently regarding haptic feedback. We expect this feature to affect games the most (think of different vibrations for different actions in games), but there are other use cases, too.
Adaptive refresh rate
This feature has already been a part of Android 15 and it makes use of the adaptive refresh rate many modern smartphone displays have. With Android 16, Google is trying to make it easier for more apps to take advantage of that hardware feature.
Outline text for maximum text contrast
Text with enhanced contrast before and after Android 16's new outline text accessibility feature | Image by Android Developers
This feature is part of the Accessibility Suite and is aimed toward people with low vision and reduced contrast sensitivity but can be very helpful for pretty much everyone. With this feature enabled, an outline area is added to the text for better contrast and readability.
Hybrid auto-exposure
This new feature concerns the camera controls and will let people manually control specific aspects of exposure while letting the auto-exposure (AE) algorithm handle the rest. People will be able to control the ISO manually and let the algorithms handle the rest, or control the exposure time and let everything else go to the algorithms.
Precise color temperature and tint adjustments
Different color temperature and tint level values | Image by Android Developers
Android 16 adds camera support for fine color temperature and tint adjustments to better support professional video recording applications. You can see the effects in the examples above—with the original image color temperature alongside different values for that parameter.
Camera night mode scene detection
This feature will help third-party apps detect low-light scenes better and switch to night mode if there's one available on the phone.
UltraHDR image enhancements
SDR image compared to UltraHDR | Image by Android Developers
Android 16 will expand the HDR capabilities of modern smartphones with the added support for UltraHDR images in the HEIC file format. This feature will expand on the current JPEG UltraHDR support, and Google is also working on AVIF support for UltraHDR as well, so stay tuned.
Photo picker improvements
This feature grants third-party apps the ability to access various image sources (e.g., you want to add a picture to your Tinder profile). With the new implementation, apps will have the option to embed the photo picker into their view hierarchy, making the process seamless and fluent—Google Photos will appear right inside the app, rather than the user needing to switch between apps to select them.
Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec support
Android 16 introduces support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec which is designed to be used for professional level high quality video recording and post production. Here are some of the core features of the new codec:
- Perceptually lossless video quality (close to raw video quality)
- Low complexity and high throughput intra-frame-only coding (without pixel domain prediction) to better support editing workflows
- Support for high bit-rate range up to a few Gbps for 2K, 4K and 8K resolution content, enabled by a lightweight entropy coding scheme
- Frame tiling for immersive content and for enabling parallel encoding and decoding
- Support for various chroma sampling formats and bit-depths
- Support for multiple decoding and re-encoding without severe visual quality degradation
- Support multi-view video and auxiliary video like depth, alpha, and preview
- Support for HDR10/10+ and user-defined metadata
Health Connect updates
Google is updating Health Connect with a new type of activity, defined according to World Health Organization guidelines for moderate and vigorous activity. Tracking apps will be required to provide the start time, the end time and whether the activity intensity is moderate or vigorous.
Privacy Sandbox on Android
Privacy Sandbox has been part of the Android OS for quite some time now. With Android 16, Google is making small changes and updates to the separate environment where your private data is stored securely, independent from apps and other services.
Android 16 design changes
We're witnessing one of the biggest changes in Android design in the past couple of years. The new Material 3 Expressive design language builds upon the Material You Google introduced a couple of generations ago.
Once you give Android 16 a try (if you happen to own a Pixel device), you'll notice right away that most of the UI components are considerably more vibrant, popping and expressive. In contrast to the previous Android releases, the new styling is pretty obvious in Android 16.
Android 16 Quick Settings tiles changes
The notification shade in Android 16 looks different, and the tiles can be made more compact
On Android 16 you can change the general shape and size of the existing tiles. You can shrink the default square buttons to a much smaller size and fit more on the screen without scrolling.
Android 16 Lock screen changes
The new lock screen in Android 16 is a bit more flashy"
There are some changes in the interface and look of the lock screen. The presentation is where most of these take place. Although the interface is a bit more flashy, the main idea is that the customization menu is more user-friendly and easier to work with.
Android 16 Wallpapers
There are a lot of new effects and customization available for wallpapers in Android 16"
There's a new wallpaper features in Android 16 called Magic Wallpaper. When you choose a photo as a wallpaper, Magic Wallpaper can highlight the subject in one of the few cutout shapes. You also can pick the color and intensity of the background.
Another cool effect adds local weather conditions, like rain, snow, fog, or sun rays to your current wallpaper. Last but not least, you can add some 3D effects to your photos, but it's a subtle affair.
Android 16 performance and battery improvements
Android 16 adds a slew of new performance and battery optimization features. A special getStartComponent() will help the OS flag what exact component manages the start of an app or a process and better optimize the start flow of the running apps.
Another new feature is the native adaptive refresh rate support built in Android 16. The new OS will make it easier for apps to take advantage of adaptive refresh rate and allow them to utilize the new LTPO display tech to the fullest, conserving battery and providing smooth and fast refresh rate when needed.
There's a new API in the SystemHealthManager in Android 16 that allows games and other resource-intensive apps to get estimate for the needed CPU and GPU resources, thus preventing stutter, lag and other performance issues.
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