Google Releases Android 16 Months Earlier Than Expected. Here's How You Can Download It
A day after Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 25, Google has launched one of its most ambitious releases yet with the official launch of Android 16.
Rolling out first to most supported Pixel phones, Android 16 lands months earlier than recent major versions, with a focus on productivity features and enhancements. These include Live Updates for tracking deliveries and rideshare cars, streamlined notifications, the ability to use desktop-style windows when your phone's connected to a monitor, new device security features, native controls for hearing aids and more.
Shipping the OS in June, instead of the traditional August to September window, lets Google push fresh features into users' hands sooner, and gives phone makers extra runway to preload Android 16 on new phones set to debut in the fall.
For Pixel owners, the update begins rolling out at 11 a.m. PT, with support for third-party phones coming later this year. Developers, meanwhile, get a new QPR beta that enables the external-monitor preview so they can start optimizing apps for bigger workspaces. Here's what you need to know.
Android 16 arrives first on the Pixel
Google is pushing a stable build of Android 16 to most supported Pixel phones today. The update layers a fresh Material 3 Expressive coat of paint on top of the OS and adds several new features, too.
Android 16 will run on the Pixel 6 and later.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Live update and streamlined notifications
If you're waiting for your sushi to arrive or watching your rideshare slowly inch across town, Android 16 now offers live updates that are pinned to your lock screen, so you don't have to keep opening an app to stay in the know. Also, notifications from the same app are now automatically grouped, reducing clutter on your lock screen from notification-heavy apps like Gmail and Ring.
You won't receive individual notifications for a single app anymore.
Google
One-tap Advanced Protection for everyone
A single toggle now bundles Google's toughest defenses, blocking dodgy websites, scam calls and even USB attacks while the phone is locked. Originally built for high-risk users like journalists and politicians, Advanced Protection is free and available for everyone on Android 16.
Clearer calls for those with hearing aids
If you use Bluetooth LE hearing aids, Android 16 lets you flip a switch that routes your voice through the phone's superior microphones instead of the tiny mics in your hearing aids, perfect for when you're in a bustling coffee shop or windy beach. There's also a new on-device panel for adjusting hearing-aid volume and presets in one place.
Android 16 brings improvements for people who use hearing aids.
Google
Better productivity for tablet owners
Tablet owners running Android 16 will get a desktop windowing mode later this year, built in partnership with Samsung. It lets you float, snap or resize multiple app windows on your device, like you would on a desktop, and Android 16 lays the groundwork for that.
Android 16's desktop windowing will be released later this year.
Google
Android 16 supported devices
Android 16 is initially rolling out to some Google Pixel devices:
How to download Android 16
If you want to download and install Android 16 today, grab your Pixel and go to Settings > System > Software update > Check for update, and the roughly 2GB download should appear. If you don't see the update yet, just wait -- it's slowly rolling out to users today.
Before you download, make sure your phone is on Wi-Fi, plug your phone in if the battery's low, and back up anything critical before you install. Once the file finishes, a quick reboot should complete the upgrade. Owners of Samsung, OnePlus and other Android devices will need to wait for their manufacturers' rollout notices later this year, but the process will be the same: Head to the software-update screen and follow the on-screen prompts.
If you're on the Android 16 beta, you can turn your Pixel into a plug-and-play desktop
Google's latest Android 16 beta (QPR1 Beta 2) lets Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 owners turn their phones into mini desktops. All you need to do is plug your phone to any external monitor with a USB-C cable, and a full task-bar-and-window interface will appear. You can juggle multiple apps side-by-side, pin favorites and even use keyboard shortcuts.
You need to enable desktop experience features in the developer settings.
Google
If you want to try out the Android 16 Beta, you can enroll your Pixel 8 or 9 at google.com/android/beta, then go to Settings > System > Software update to download the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 over the air.
Non-Android 16 new features also released today
Alongside Android 16, Google is releasing half a dozen features across the wider Android ecosystem today:
Custom group chats . You can pick an icon and name, see who's on RCS and set a timed mute.
. You can pick an icon and name, see who's on RCS and set a timed mute. Smarter Google Photos editor. Use one-tap AI fixes, text-prompt "Reimagine" edits and auto-crop.
Use one-tap AI fixes, text-prompt "Reimagine" edits and auto-crop. Room-specific Google Home shortcuts. You can pin a camera to your TV, lights to your phone, thermostat to your watch.
You can pin a camera to your TV, lights to your phone, thermostat to your watch. Extend Safety Check timers. Add extra minutes from the phone or Wear OS without restarting the countdown.
Add extra minutes from the phone or Wear OS without restarting the countdown. Fresh Emoji Kitchen mash-ups. For more expressive stickers, you can create new combos like pointing pigs and thankful carrots.
For more expressive stickers, you can create new combos like pointing pigs and thankful carrots. Faster transit taps on Wear OS. Swipe your watch and pay, even with Google Wallet closed.
These are all the new features being released today across the entire Android ecosystem, not just Android 16.
Google
All six arrive via Play Services and app updates, no upgrade required.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Digital Trends
13 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
At $120 off, the most comfortable noise-canceling headphones are now at a comfortable price
One of the best things about wearing noise-canceling headphones is the great deal of comfort they bring when in loud, chaotic environments. However, they need to really fit around your head to get that seal, which can lead to some comfort issues. If you're the type that wants to float away into your music or studies, then the Sonos Ace are your absolute best bet, and they are the headphones we consider to be the overall best noise-canceling headphones for comfort. Unfortunately, they're usually $449, the same price as the brand new Sony WH-1000XM6. Now, however, in a deal you can find at any major retailer, they're discounted by $120, making them just $329. Tap the appropriate button below to make your purchase or keep reading to see just how comfortable the Sonos Ace are, and learn about the special link they have with the best soundbar Sonos makes. Why you should buy the Sonos Ace Looking through our guide to the best headphones with noise-canceling you might expect the Sonos Ace to be the lightest of them all, considering they're considered the most comfortable. At 11 ounces, however, they are not even close to the 8.8 ounces that multiple noise-cancellers are down to. It all comes down to excellent padding and what our Sonos Ace review will remind you is a delicate balance between clamping force and pressure. Your ears will stay cool, not stuffy, while wearing these headphones, too. And while our review says that the area where the Sonos Ace 'truly shine' is comfort and simplicity, it's also worth pointing out their one true special feature. (That they have a good transparency mode, tactile controls, and a 30 hour battery life shouldn't surprise you at this price.) They have a TV Audio Swap feature with select Sonos soundbars, such as the Sonos Arc or Sonos Arc Ultra. This feature takes the full-on Dolby Atmos surround sound and spatial audio of your soundbar and ports it to your headset — perfect for when you notice the spouse or little one nodding off on the couch. We're not sure how long the Sonos Ace are going to be $120 off, making them $329 instead of $449, but we're happy to see the deal while it lasts. This is a deal that just about every retailer is taking advantage of, so you should be able to take your pick based on your memberships, gift cards, or other reasons — just tap the appropriate button below to shop. If the deal is off, or the Sonos Ace aren't to your liking, check out these other fresh headphone deals for more great offers.
Engadget
13 minutes ago
- Engadget
Google completely remade its Snapseed iOS photo editor
After several years, Google has released a major update to the iOS version of its Snapseed photo editor. Version 3.0 is the program offers a complete redesign of both the iPhone and iPad apps. All of the images that have been edited with the tool are displayed in a grid. Navigation has been rearranged into three tabs, with a new Faves section for the photo tools that you want to quickly use on the regular. It boasts more than 25 different tools and filters for altering photos, including some newly added film filters. Snapseed also has a refreshed its logo with a more streamlined look. Google acquired Snapseed all the way back in 2012. The new take on the app is a surprise, since Snapseed hadn't received any major updates on iOS since 2021. One thing has not changed: the app is still free and has no advertisements. For now, the listing for Snapseed in Google Play is still a version from last year; it's unclear if or when 3.0 will arrive on Android.
Engadget
17 minutes ago
- Engadget
Apple's AI-infused Siri may not show up until spring 2026
The new version of Siri that was demoed alongside Apple Intelligence might not be released until Spring 2026, Bloomberg reports. Apple officially delayed Siri's release to some time "in the coming year" back in March. The new Siri could be included in a planned iOS 26.4 update next year, which Bloomberg writes will likely arrive in March. Apple announced the smarter and more personal version of Siri at WWDC 2024 over a year ago now, and nearly two years before this hypothetical Spring 2026 release date. The company could demo the updated AI assistant again at its iPhone event in the fall or even release the new Siri early, but timing reportedly remains up in the air. Apple's proposed update to Siri is supposed to give the company's aging voice assistant the authority to take action inside of apps and understand the content and context of your screen. The company's demos showed off Siri referencing emails for flight information and embedding photos in documents, all on its own, as evidence of how much more capable the assistant could be. In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal , Apple executives attribute the delay of the new Siri to it simply not being up to the company's standards. Internally, Bloomberg writes that there's also disagreement between Apple's marketing and engineering teams as to who is really at fault. The company shouldn't have hyped up the new Siri at WWDC 2024 or built an ad campaign around features that might not ship (Apple's pulled its Siri ads in March). But the engineering team may have been misleading as to how ready the assistant really was. As testament to how careful Apple is being now, its focus on AI at WWDC 2025 was far more muted. The closest the company got to touching on some of the magic of the new Siri was the updated version of Spotlight that's coming in macOS 26, which can leverage the same App Intents framework Siri is supposed to use to perform select actions in apps, like sending a text in Messages without having to open the app.
