Android 16 what's new and whats missing

Google's Android 16 update partially released in June 2025 introduces notable enhancements centring around its Material 3 Expressive design language although this is largely absent from the initial release. The update aims not only to improve aesthetic appeal but also to refine user interaction through visual and functional improvements. Key features include updated icons, animations, and redesigned components, while some existing applications receive significant redesigns. Despite these advancements, it remains worthy of investigation to identify the announced features that are yet to debut, as well as the broader implications for device manufacturers and users.

TL:DR – The Android 16 update is a revitalisation of Google's mobile operating system experience, boasting significant design and usability enhancements. Though the rollout is impressive, some announced features sought by users remain absent But the advanced protection settings and hearing aid support in Android 16 are literally life changing for me. Call screening would be too but I hardly ever answer my phone. Early availability on Google's own Pixel devices is welcome but the complete realisation of Android 16's potential may take time.

Material 3 expressive features 

The introduction of the Material 3 Expressive design philosophy will mark a significant step in Google's design language evolution. The Material 3 Expressive elements focus on providing rich user experiences through new visual components and user interface enhancements. This update features a reimagined look for user interface elements like app bars and navigation components, accompanied by a fresh animation system. These transitions are not arbitrary; they are grounded in a spring-based motion system designed to offer more engaging interactions.

One of the most notable aspects of the Material 3 Expressive update is the implementation of shape-morphing transitions that give elements a fluid and dynamic character. This approach ensures that the actions taken by users, such as tapping and scrolling, feel more natural. Components previously viewed as static will now exhibit a more animated presence, thereby improving user engagement significantly. Not only does this contribute to aesthetic appeal, but it also enhances usability by making interactions feel more informative.

Additionally, users will benefit from improved theme colours that allow for enhanced contrast and richer palettes. This adjustment aims to create a visually harmonious environment that adapts effectively to different lighting conditions, allowing enhanced readability and lower eye strain. Further customisation options provide flexibility; tangible changes in app icon shapes allow users to express their style and visual preferences distinctly. Google has recognised the importance of personalised user experiences, and this level of customisation reflects that understanding.

Notifications

Android 16 introduces nuanced enhancements to its notification system, aiming to reduce cognitive overload while preserving immediacy. At the forefront is the refined handling of live notifications.

Collectively, these features reinforce Android’s direction toward ambient intelligence (systems that adapt without explicit commands). Android 16’s notification architecture marks a step away from volume, and a step toward better relevance.

Live notifications

Live notifiations are transient, real-time alerts such as delivery tracking or fitness data. These now anchor persistently in the notification shade, with clearer boundaries between ephemeral and persistent signals.

Stacked notifications

A new stacked notification model groups related alerts more intelligently. Rather than merely clustering messages by app, Android 16 uses behavioural context to layer notifications hierarchically. Messaging threads, task updates, and system prompts are now stacked in a way that preserves visibility without dominating the screen. The result is a more legible and prioritised flow of information, especially on smaller displays.

Notification cooldown

The most notable addition is the cooldown mechanic. When a user consistently dismisses or ignores notifications from a given source, the system initiates a cooldown period. During this time, alerts from that app are deprioritised—visually and auditorily—without needing user intervention. It’s a quiet recalibration of attention, recognising passive intent as a form of input.

Desktop Windows

Android 16 marks a tentative but deliberate step toward broader productivity use cases with the introduction of Desktop Windows functionality. While not yet a full-blown desktop mode, this feature enables select applications to open in freeform, resizable windows when connected to an external display. It’s a nod to established third part desktop modes like Samsung’s Dex, but implemented in a more restrained fashion.

The aim is clear and that is to evolve vanilla Android beyond its mobile-first constraints. By allowing multiple Desktop Windows to coexist, multitasking becomes less constrained by app-switching limitations and more akin to desktop computing. Drag-and-drop support between windows, improved keyboard shortcuts, and persistent taskbar integration suggest an ambition to make Android viable for hybrid workflows.

However, the implementation remains developer-optional. Apps must explicitly opt in to support Desktop Windows, meaning consistency is uneven across the ecosystem. This contrasts with Dex, which enforces a more unified desktop-like environment, albeit within Samsung OEM boundaries.

Crucially, this signals a shift in how Google views vanilla Android—not just as a phone OS, but as a flexible platform for a post-mobile era. With continued refinement, Android’s native Desktop Windows framework could reduce reliance on proprietary extensions, moving productivity features closer to the core experience.

Advanced Protection 

Details of Advanced protection

Android 16 introduces a hardened security settings page designed have one place to enable and see hardened settings. The new Advanced Protection feature strengthens device-level defences against man in the middle attacks. Theres clerly more work going on here for future devices too but theres a welcome list of feartures you can enable with one setting change.

 Stingray / IMSI Catcher protection not yet avaiable

Networks

Currently, only 2G network disabling is available on Android devices. Future Android devices will be ble to detect suspicious activity consistent with stingray devices. These rogue cell-site simulators mimic legitimate towers to hijack connections and extract IMSI or SMS content. It is difficult to see how this will work in th UK where the pitiful 5G rollout leaves devices vulnerable to forced downgrades and radio-level spoofing even when the phone proudly proclaims it has a 5G connection.

Device safety

Device safety safeguards lot, stolen or confiscated devices with a theft detection lock whn motion indicates theft, and and automatic lock whn your device is offline, for example in a forensic evidence signal proof bag! and restarts automativally if a device remains locked for three days which brings your SIM pin into play in addition to your phone patterns. You do have. SIM pin dont you?

Apps

Google Play protect scans for unsafe apps and malware, nknown apps are blocked when device protection is enabled, and mamory corruption is protected against. 

Web

Android safe browsing blocks harmful web pages, Chrome warns before visiting non HTTPS sites, and some advanced JavaScript is turned off.

Phone

Caller ID and Spam protection identifies business numbers and spam calls are automatically declined which is nice!

Messages

Simplarly to phone calls, messages has filters and warns about links from unknown senders.

Advanced Professional Video (APV)

Android 16 introduces Advanced Professional Video (APV), a feature aimed squarely at creators and technical cinematographers who demand granular control over capture parameters. This new API layer exposes hardware-level capabilities previously locked behind OEM-specific camera apps, enabling native access to bitrate tuning, colour profiles, frame synchronisation, and dynamic range curves.

With APV, Android 16 supports real-time LUT (Look-Up Table) application, manual shutter-angle adjustments, and extended bitrate ceiling configurations—vital for broadcast-grade production. External audio interface support has also been enhanced, allowing for precise latency compensation and metadata tagging of multichannel sources. These are not hobbyist additions, but professional-grade tools embedded directly into the OS.

The feature is designed to be modular, allowing developers to layer custom UIs over APV while maintaining access to consistent low-level control. Android’s CameraX library now includes Advanced Professional Video hooks, allowing apps to integrate seamlessly with gimbals, external monitors, and other rig peripherals.

Crucially, APV is codec-agnostic. Whether targeting ProRes, HEVC, or RAW encapsulation, Android 16 ensures predictable pipeline behaviour across certified devices. It marks a move toward democratised mobile cinematography—where flagship smartphones can serve as credible acquisition tools in constrained or mobile-first production environments.

Accessibility and hearing aid support improvements

Android 16 advances its commitment to inclusive design with substantial improvements to its Accessibility framework, particularly for hearing devices. A major enhancement is extended support for modern Bluetooth LE standards, enabling seamless pairing and low-latency streaming to certified hearing aids. The system now natively recognises more models, maintaining stable connections across app switches and media sessions. With a supported app like in my case the Signia app, you can set the hearing aids to be your phone headset and call audio is routed to both ears simultaneously over Bluetooth LE. This is life changing for me I can tell you.

Combined with on-device speech enhancement, live captioning, and AI-powered ambient sound filtering, Android 16 represents a comprehensive rethinking of mobile Accessibility. By addressing both clinical-grade requirements and everyday usability, it closes the gap between mainstream mobile interaction and specialised assistive technology.

Audio Sharing

Equally notable is the introduction of audio sharing. Users can now broadcast media or call audio from their device to multiple receivers—headphones, hearing aids, or compatible speaker sets—simultaneously. This is a step toward inclusive group experiences, allowing users with auditory impairments to participate without needing bespoke hardware configurations.

Linux terminal

Android 16 takes a modest yet meaningful stride toward advanced system interaction by expanding support for Linux-style terminal environments. While Android has long run on a Linux kernel, direct user access to a native terminal has been historically constrained, often requiring root privileges or third-party emulation layers. Android 16 shifts this dynamic by enhancing developer mode and integrating a more permissive command execution layer within its ADB and local shell contexts.

The embedded shell environment now exposes a broader set of POSIX-compliant tools, enabling scripting, file manipulation, and diagnostics in a format familiar to those fluent in Linux. Whether accessed via connected workstation or on-device terminal emulator, users can issue commands, inspect process trees, and manipulate permissions with reduced friction.

In addition, Android 16 improves syscall transparency and sandboxed execution for local terminal sessions, allowing more advanced workflows without compromising device integrity. This positions the platform as more than just mobile-centric—it becomes a legitimate participant in portable development and debugging pipelines.

Although still limited by userland constraints, this iteration underscores Google’s recognition of the utility and flexibility of Linux-based shell access. For developers and power users alike, it marks a return to fundamentals—command-line precision on a modern mobile OS.

Vertical Text

Android 16 introduces long-overdue support for vertical text rendering, addressing a critical gap in multilingual typography. This enhancement plays a pivotal role in internationalisation (i18n) efforts, particularly for languages such as Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, where vertical writing is a standard presentation format rather than a stylistic choice.

The new text layout engine respects vertical writing modes at the system level. It offers proper glyph rotation, punctuation handling, and bidirectional text flow without manual transformation or custom views. Developers can now natively define vertical text orientations using updated XML attributes or runtime APIs, reducing reliance on fragmented workarounds and improving rendering fidelity.

This feature aligns Android’s typographic engine more closely with W3C specifications and established desktop behaviours, fostering consistency across platforms. It also empowers app developers building culturally authentic experiences—particularly in publishing, messaging, and e-reader applications—where vertical formatting is not just desirable but expected.

From a broader i18n standpoint, vertical text support reflects a strategic shift: treating multilingual support as foundational, not optional. Android 16 demonstrates a deeper commitment to linguistic inclusivity, ensuring that interface conventions align with real-world usage across global userbases. In this release, typography becomes not just visual, but culturally responsive.

Embedded photo picker

Android 16 refines user-media interaction with the introduction of an embedded photo picker, a lightweight and privacy-conscious alternative to traditional gallery access. Unlike legacy intents that require broad file permissions, the new picker operates within a constrained, sandboxed environment—allowing apps to request specific media without exposing the entire storage hierarchy.

This system-integrated photo picker is now embeddable within app layouts, offering a seamless, in-context browsing experience. Developers can instantiate the picker directly into a fragment or activity, maintaining interface continuity while ensuring compliance with scoped storage policies. This design drastically reduces friction, especially in messaging, social, or productivity applications where quick, contextual media selection is critical.

The picker respects media classifications, enabling users to filter by recency, format, or content type. It also supports cloud-backed sources, surfacing images from Google Photos or other linked providers without compromising local storage policies. As a result, the user experience becomes both richer and more controlled.

Android 16’s embedded photo picker balances user autonomy with data security, granting just enough access for utility, without unnecessary exposure. For developers and users alike, it's a cleaner, safer path to visual content integration.

Health records

Android 16 enhances health data management with a stronger emphasis on privacy and interoperability. The updated framework enables seamless integration of electronic health records from diverse providers, consolidating patient information within secure, user-controlled environments. This facilitates quicker access to vital data such as immunisation histories, lab results, and medication schedules.

Central to this advancement is improved security architecture. Android 16 employs end-to-end encryption and hardware-backed key storage to safeguard sensitive health information against unauthorized access. Additionally, granular permission controls ensure apps can only access specific data subsets relevant to their function, mitigating risk of overreach.

The platform also supports standardised APIs aligned with industry protocols, enabling certified apps to communicate efficiently without compromising user trust. By balancing accessibility with robust security, Android 16 sets a new benchmark for mobile health record management, empowering users while protecting their most sensitive information.

Privacy sandbox

Android 16 introduces a refined privacy sandbox aimed at redefining data security boundaries within the mobile ecosystem. This sandbox isolates app components and restricts cross-app data exchange, reducing the attack surface for malicious actors. By compartmentalising sensitive operations, Android 16 ensures that personal information remains confined within controlled environments.

The enhanced privacy model leverages runtime permissions and contextual access controls, dynamically adjusting based on user behaviour and app trustworthiness. This approach mitigates risks associated with background data harvesting and unintentional leaks.

Moreover, the sandbox integrates with system-level APIs to enable privacy-preserving analytics and targeted functionality without exposing raw user data. This enables developers to maintain feature richness while adhering to stricter privacy mandates.

By balancing usability with stringent controls, Android 16’s privacy sandbox represents a critical evolution in mobile security architecture, safeguarding user data against increasingly sophisticated threats while supporting modern application demands.

First-party app redesigns

With Android 16, significant changes are being observed in new releases in Google's first-party applications, showcasing the coherent implementation of the Material 3 Expressive design philosophy. This includes popular applications such as Gmail, Google Photos, and Fitbit, each of which has undergone substantial reimagining in terms of aesthetic presentation and user functionality. These redesigns not only exemplify the integration of the new design language but also offer users a glimpse into how the updates might manifest across a broader range of apps.

In Gmail, for instance, users will find refreshed layouts that facilitate ease of reading and navigation. The inclusion of clearer iconography ensures that actions are more intuitive, minimising the learning curve for new users while enhancing efficiency for existing users. Smaller adjustments, such as the transition of colours and rounded corners, contribute to a cohesive experience, establishing a consistent design language across user interactions.

Google Photos has also benefitted from the Material 3 Expressive overhaul, with its photo management capabilities becoming more streamlined and visually appealing. Enhanced organisational features, along with a more intuitive user interface, provide improved functionality for managing collections and facilitating sharing options. These enhancements illustrate Google's commitment to maximising user experience whilst leveraging the capabilities of the Material 3 design framework.

Rollout to devices

One of the key considerations when discussing Android 16 is the timeline for the rollout of these features to compatible devices. The update commenced with Google's Pixel smartphones, specifically the Pixel 6 and newer models, indicating a focused effort to ensure that Google's flagship devices receive priority for the latest features. Thankfully, this rollout is not confined to Google's own Android devices, as the update is also expected to reach third-party manufacturers in line with their own schedules. However, differences may arise resulting in a varied user experience based on custom launchers and user interfaces like Samsung's OneUI or OnePlus' OxygenOS.

For users keen on experiencing the updates firsthand, Google has made provisions for a phased integration. Many enhancements introduced with Material 3 Expressive, including user interface changes, will eventually reach a much wider audience. However, third-party manufacturers often have their own design ethos which may diverge from Google's vision, leading to inconsistencies in the user experience. Users should remain informed about the schedule for their device updates, recognising the potential delays experienced with brands that may adopt a more incremental approach.

Ultimately, the rollout of Material 3 Expressive features across different devices signifies an ongoing commitment by Google to unify user experiences. While Pixel users may experience the updates sooner, many features will eventually gradio1 get extended to a broader selection of devices. As noted by Google, the timing of these updates is often influenced by manufacturer strategy and capacity, creating a landscape where patience is required for consumers passionate about new technology.

The future of Android updates

As Android 16 continues to roll out, it will serve as a platform for continuous updates and improvements based on user feedback and technological advancements. Google has committed to leveraging user insights to refine and enhance ongoing updates, ensuring that future iterations of the operating system reflect the needs and desires of their vast user base. Pivotal in this evolving journey is the performance of Material 3 Expressive, which aims to bridge the gaps evident in the current user experiences across the Android landscape.

The updates related to App compatibility and desktop functionality provide insights into future anticipations without the need for further delays. Users will be eagerly watching for news on how Google plans to rectify the shortcomings currently visible in Android 16, with a pronounced focus on forging a more inclusive and accessible user-interface experience across all facets of their device.

Furthermore, the interplay between Android 16 and upcoming hardware releases, such as the anticipated Google Pixel 9, will reveal the extent to which these innovations integrate with further developments in hardware capabilities. Each new device generation will push Google to explore and experiment with unique potential applications, indicative of their ongoing commitment to progress and evolution. This commitment to future-proofing their ecosystem establishes an upward trajectory that is likely to redefine user interactions across all Google applications and devices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Android 16 update introduces a significant refinement in design and usability, represented chiefly by the Material 3 Expressive framework. The new features, including enhanced visual aesthetics, revamped applications, and new UI components, indicate a keen focus on improving the user experience. As exciting as these updates are, users are waiting for further improvements, particularly regarding broader application support and enriched desktop functionalities. Continued dialogue with users suggests that the path forward must embody a balance between rapid innovation and comprehensive inclusivity throughout the Android ecosystem.

The forthcoming releases will likely determine how quickly users can leverage Material 3 Expressive across more third-party applications, patterns that developers will need to acknowledge to retain their audience. To ensure readers stay updated on the latest developments in this rapidly evolving environment, refer to Google’s official blog for ongoing insights related to forthcoming Android updates and features.

For further reading and weekly updates on all things Android, visit Android's official resource. Stay informed to make the most of Android 16's new capabilities