Today, we’re bringing you Android 16, rolling out first to supported Pixel devices with more phone brands to come later this year. This is the earliest Android has launched a major release in the last few years, which ensures you get the latest updates as soon as possible on your devices.
Android 16 lays the foundation for our new Material 3 Expressive design, with features that make Android more accessible and easy to use.
↫ Seang Chau at the Google blog
Android 16 doesn’t seem like a very big release, and that’s because for most users, it really isn’t. There’s some neat features in here, like improved notification grouping, live notifications, a slew of protection features for people who run increased risk (think journalists or victims of abuse), and proper desktop-style windowing on tablets, which seems like the tentpole feature for now. The Material 3 Expressive design is not really here yet, though as that will come in subsequent Android 16 updates.