After releasing two developer beta versions last year, Google introduced the first public beta of Android 16 on Thursday. New features include live updates on the lock screen (such as live activity on iOS), an advanced professional video (APV) codec for high-quality video recording, and the ability for developers to adapt apps to different screen sizes and aspect ratios. Contains a framework for doing so.
For consumers, support for live updates will be the most visible change. Apple introduced Live Activity in iOS 16 in 2022 to show ever-changing updates on delivery status, workouts, sports scores, and more. Android now allows developers to push real-time updates natively in Android 16.
Google is also adding frameworks and tools to make apps more responsive in terms of design. The company is phasing out size limit controls for developers, so apps can be viewed and worked on larger screens such as tablets and foldable devices.
Android 16 also gets a new Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec for high-quality video recording and post-processing. The company said this codec helps speed up editing features and features such as multi-view videos and auxiliary videos. This is probably Apple's direct answer to ProRes and the raw form of ProRes.
It says that with APV, users can expect “perceptually” lossless quality that is close to raw footage. Additionally, the codec supports 2K, 4K, and 8K footage up to multi-gigabit bitrate ranges.
Google is also adding a way for apps to know if the in-app camera should switch to night mode for better quality low-light photos. The company worked with Instagram to bring this feature to Select Devices users last year.
Android 16 brings improvements on the accessibility front with new required field indicators in the API. This new feature allows apps to tell users that certain fields are required. Google said this could also be useful in situations where users need to check the terms of service box.
Image credit: Google (screenshot)
Google took a different approach with Android 16 by releasing the first developer preview in November 2025 instead of Q1. year. This is Google's effort to ensure device manufacturers have enough time to issue updates and reduce software version fragmentation across different devices.