Android 16: Final Version Now Available For Pixel Devices

On June 10, Google officially rolled out the stable version of Android 16 for its Pixel smartphones, following six months of testing. The latest Android release introduces notable visual upgrades, enhanced accessibility features, and improvements focused on user convenience, security, and multi-device functionality.

Material 3 Expressive and Notification Enhancements

Android 16 debuts the Material 3 Expressive design language, offering a more dynamic and personalized user interface across supported apps and system elements. One of the major usability improvements involves live updates in notifications for ride-sharing and food delivery apps. These allow users to monitor real-time information, such as a driver’s route or order status, directly from the notification panel—eliminating the need to open the app repeatedly.

The system also introduces automatic grouping of notifications from the same app, reducing clutter in the notification shade and making important alerts easier to manage. Google is collaborating with partners like Samsung (via Now Bar), OPPO, and OnePlus to bring these notification improvements to more devices.AAnA

Accessibility: Hearing Aid Support

Android 16 includes key enhancements for users with hearing aids. Through Bluetooth LE Audio, users can now make voice calls using their hearing aids, significantly improving call clarity in noisy environments. Additionally, Android 16 enables native volume control of hearing aids directly from the smartphone, offering greater convenience and better integration.

Advanced Protection

On the security front, Android 16 introduces Advanced Protection, Google’s most robust mobile security system to date. This feature suite guards against a wide range of digital threats, including cyberattacks, malicious apps, unsafe websites, and fraudulent calls. The protection is integrated with core Google apps such as Chrome, Messages, and Phone, and can also be extended to third-party apps that choose to participate.

New Desktop Mode

In partnership with Samsung, Google is also launching a desktop mode for tablets running Android 16, drawing inspiration from Samsung DeX. This mode allows users to open apps in resizable windows, use split-screen functionality, and interact with the interface more like a PC. The goal is to enhance productivity on large-screen devices.

Users can open multiple windows, freely move them across the screen, and adjust their size as needed. Additional features, including custom keyboard shortcuts, external monitor support, and desktop UI refinements, are expected to roll out later in the year. Android 16 is now available for Pixel devices, with broader availability for other manufacturers scheduled for 2025. The following models are compatible with the update: