Not all phones have been updated to Android 15, but work towards Android 16 is already well underway, and we’ve already seen a few pre-release builds. Now, the very first proper beta of Android 16 has arrived for Pixel phones and SDK emulators.

Google has officially released the first beta version of Android 16, and it’s now rolling out to developers and early testers that want to see what’s next for Android before everyone else. This beta itself doesn’t include a lot of changes, but we still have a long way to go before the final release later this year. With the changes in this update and the stuff Google has added throughout the last two developer previews, we can say that the OS is slowly but steadily taking shape.

There are a few changes here that are probably overdue. For one, Android 16 is phasing out the ability for apps to restrict screen orientation and resizability on large-screen devices (those wider than 600dp). Apps targeting API level 36 in Android 16 will have resizable windows, and developers are urged to test their interfaces to ensure seamless scaling across different aspect ratios. By 2026, this change will apply to all apps targeting API level 37, with no opt-out. This is important because there are tons of apps out there that are surprisingly still pretty inflexible with the aspect ratio they are designed around, resulting in non-optimal experiences on tablets and foldable phones. Eventually, though, app developers are going to have to keep up with the changing times.

Another useful addition is Live Updates, which is meant to enhance the “live notifications” apps like Uber give you when you’re getting a ride. The new ProgressStyle notification template streamlines the development of these progress-centric updates, offering customization options for colors, icons, and progress-tracking segments. This change will mostly be seen on the developer side, but it’s still an important one to point out since it will also result in improved live notifications for users once it catches on.

On the media front, Android 16 introduces support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, designed for high-quality video recording and post-production. APV boasts near-lossless video quality, low-complexity encoding for editing workflows, support for high bit rates, frame tiling, and various chroma sampling formats. There’s a new API that allows apps to detect when to switch to night mode in the camera, and if that’s implemented correctly, it could potentially be really good for low-light photography. Finally, Android 16 provides foundational support for vertical text rendering, which is a good thing for languages like Japanese that occasionally use vertical writing systems.

A lot of updates here are mostly just important for developers, such as Android Runtime (ART) changes that might impact some apps, and won’t be seen or noticed much by users when the update does release. Still, if you’re a developer and you want to read more about these changes, you can read the full list of changes on the official blog post.

Just like Android 15, this is largely shaping up to be a “boring” update in a lot of ways. I could be wrong, though, and Google might decide to add a truckload of new features over the next few betas and before the OS hits the platform stability stage, which should happen around March. But even if I’m not wrong, I’ve previously talked about how this is not necessarily a bad thing. Android is pretty mature right now the way it is, and there’s no need for Google to change the UI/UX for the sake of changing it, especially since a lot of third-party manufacturers like Samsung are just going to skin their take on Android 16 to their liking anyway.

You can download the update on any eligible Google Pixel device now, but unless you’re comfortable with sporting potentially broken software on your phone, we would advise against it.

Source: Google