Android 16 has arrived. At first glance, this update may not seem big. It isn’t getting a redesign yet. However, it still brings nice quality of life improvements.
With Android 16, you’re getting new features like desktop windowing, Live Updates, and much more. In this article, we are aiming to tell you everything you need to know about this version of Android. From its codename, down to what devices currently have the update.
What will they call Android 16?
Unfortunately, Google has stopped using the dessert names publicly for new versions of the Android OS. However, they are still used internally. And Android 16 is called “Baklava”.
This does differ from Google’s past naming for versions of Android, as it typically goes to the next letter in the alphabet, and Android 15 was Vanilla Ice Cream. Here’s what the recent Android versions were named, internally.
- Android 10 – Quince Tart
- Android 11 – Red Velvet Cake
- Android 12 – Snow Cone
- Android 13 – Tiramisu
- Android 14 – Upside Down Cake
- Android 15 – Vanilla Ice Cream
- Android 16 – Baklava
When will Android 16 be released?
Google originally had planned to release Android 16 on June 3, 2025. However, some delays pushed the launch back a week to June 10, 2025.
As you can tell from the timeline below, Google has drastically moved up the release date. For most years, the next version of Android has launched in Q3, and here we are looking at Q2. This is part of Google’s revamp of its schedule, which started with the Pixel 9 series launching last August instead of October. This also means that phones launching this Fall should have Android 16 out of the box – including Samsung’s new foldables that are launching next month.
Android 16 QPR1
At Google I/O, the company released the first beta for the first Quarterly Platform Release for Android 16, even before the stable version of Android 16 started rolling out. This QPR1 has the new Material 3 Expressive redesign that Google has been touting lately.
Typically, we get about 2-3 betas for each QPR release, so the beta cycle should be shorter this time around, versus the full Android 16 launch.
What’s the developer preview and beta schedule?
Google is sticking with mostly the same developer preview and beta schedule as in previous years, only moving up a couple of months. So we’re looking at two developer previews, followed by four public betas, and then the stable launch in June. Here’s the schedule so far:
- Android 16 Developer Preview 1 – November 19, 2024
- Android 16 Developer Preview 2 – December 28, 2024
- Android 16 Beta 1 – January 23, 2025
- Android 16 Beta 2 – February 13, 2025
- Android 16 Beta 2.1 – February 27, 2025
- Android 16 Beta 3 – March 13, 2025
- Android 16 Beta 3.1 – March 18, 2025
- Android 16 Beta 3.2 – April 2, 2025
- Android 16 Beta 4 – April 17, 2025
- Android 16 Stable Release – June 10, 2025
What devices will get Android 16?
While we can’t yet say specifically which devices will for sure get Android 16, we do know of some devices that are guaranteed to get updates through this version of Android, specifically on the Pixel side. Google announced last year that it was adding another year of support to the Pixel 6 series, which makes this list the same as Android 15.
We also know that the Galaxy S24 and S25 series will get Android 16. Samsung has said that One UI 8 (which is based on Android 16) will launch with the new foldables in July, so we expect a rollout to older devices shortly after.
What features does Android 16 bring?
These days, new Android versions don’t bring many user-facing features. A lot of the changes are going to be under the hood and for developers with the APIs. But this year, we do have a few features that users will notice, like Live Updates and a new Embedded Photo Picker
Live Updates
In Android 16 Beta 1, Google introduced Live Updates, and yes this sounds just like Apple’s Live Activities. That’s essentially what this is. It’s a new classification of notifications that allow users to monitor and access important ongoing activities. These updates are going to be great for apps like GrubHub, Uber, Google Maps, Instagram, etc.
Developers will be able to use this new notification style to denote states and milestones in a user’s journey, through a progress bar. You can see Live Updates in action with the latest Android 16 beta and the latest Google Maps update, which will show your status in the status bar for your navigation.
Notification Auto Grouping
Google is also now forcing apps to automatically group notifications together. This is going to help reduce information overload and clean up that notification shade a bit.
Enhanced Productivity for Tablets
Google worked with Samsung to develop its own desktop windowing feature, that is now debuting on Android 16. This is a new way to interact with your apps and content on large-screen devices. Now, you can open, move, and resize multiple app windows on a single screen. This is particularly useful for larger devices like foldables and tablets.
Advanced Protection
In Android 16, you can now activate Advanced Protection, which is Google’s strongest mobile device protection. This enables an array of robust device security features that protect you from online attacks, harmful apps, unsafe websites, scam calls and much more.
When will my phone get Android 16?
Google Pixel devices will start getting the Android 16 update today, June 10, 2025. As for other manufacturers, those updates will start to roll out over the coming months. We do know that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 will launch with Android 16 and One UI 8 next month. So other Samsung devices shouldn’t be far behind. OnePlus and OPPO should roll out Oxygen OS 16 and Color OS 16 fairly soon as well.
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