Android
Android 16 Developer Preview released with a set of useful features
Google has surprised everyone with the Android 16 Developer Preview. The company released its new software version for developers, hinting that it will soon approach the general public in the form of beta builds. Till then, let’s explore the latest stuff.
The US tech giant already mentioned that Android 16 will launch sooner than usual. The expected time frame is of the second quarter (June) of next year.
While eligible phone users are still waiting for Android 15, Google rolled out Android 16 Developer Preview (DP1). Of course, it is unexpected as the company has been releasing the first Android DP around February for the past five years.
Android 16’s early developer preview suggests that the public launch will likely take place in Q2 or Q3 2025. It won’t be as late as the Android 15 software system.
The official developer page shows the Android 16 roadmap. After the first developer preview, the second one will arrive next month. Google will start beta releases in January 2025 and will land on Platform Stability by the end of H1 2024.
Android 16 roadmap (Image Credits: Android)
Android 16 DP1: Eligible Devices
Here’s the list of compatible Pixel models that can participate in the latest developer preview activity and enjoy the new features of the upcoming Android version.
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel 8
- Pixel 8 Pro
- Pixel 8a
- Pixel 9
- Pixel 9 Pro
- Pixel 9 Pro XL
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Tablet
The Android 16 DP1 is rolling out with the BP21.241018.009 version and the November 2024 security patch. In case your device is running on the Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1, then you can’t jump to the new program without resetting your device.
Android 16 Developer Preview released with a set of useful features (Image Credits: AndroidDeveloper)
Android 16 DP1: Features
Speaking of the new features, developers can explore a new system photo picker. It will enable apps to offer a smoother and more organized way to pick images without additional permissions. Health Connect will allow apps to access or handle medical records in FHIR format, only after the user’s permission.
Developers will find a new privacy dashboard with a 7-day history setup. It shows the usage of the camera, mic, and location for the past seven days at once.
There’s an ‘experimental mode in the Display settings that makes the screen warmer and more yellowish. The visual effect is close to Night light.
Next is the “Notification Cooldown” feature which is quite interesting. It calms the vibration and noise if your phone is bombarded with too many notifications at once.
Audio Sharing is another useful feature that lets you share audio to various Bluetooth devices at once. It is based on Auracast and is currently available only to Pixel 8 and above smartphones. Developers will also see the Android 16 codename “Baklava” in the Quick Settings Panel.
There are two issues in the Developer Preview:
- Tapping an ongoing media notification sometimes fails to launch the corresponding app.
- On some devices, the camera screen sometimes flashes if the zoom level is adjusted while recording video.
