Android 16 Beta Launches with Live Updates, Foldable Optimizations

Google is now officially rolling out the first public beta of Android 16, complete with new features including dynamic lock screen notifications and improved app resizability, especially on foldable and tablets. This is the first of four beta rolling up to the full Android 16 release in Q2 this year.

Android 16 Beta Rolls Out: Dynamic Notifications and Enhanced App Resizing Take Center Stage on Foldables

Among the most notable features added in the test release is Live Updates, which gives real-time alerts for, say, food deliveries, ride-sharing, and navigation. Such messages will be pinned at the top of the notification stack, making it easier for users to access timely information. This feature is similar to Apple’s Live Activities introduced in 2022 and Samsung’s Now Bar on the Galaxy S25, though Google is focusing on specific progress trackers for ride-sharing and food delivery apps initially.

Android 16 is about making sure that big screens, including foldables and tablets. You can no longer lock the size of an app or its orientation, so apps can occupy the full screen and can resize themselves in multitasking. Games won’t be affected by this change, but developers won’t be forced to fully adapt their apps to these devices until Android 17 in 2026.

The beta also comes with a slew of other changes, including the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec for 4K and HDR video capture, scene detection for automated adjustments such as a night mode in camera apps and better handling for vertical text rendering, which will be useful for Asian languages. Users will also experience richer haptic feedback and access a new Health Connect app for securely sharing medical data across devices.

Additionally, Google is enhancing AI integration, expanding support for Gemini Extensions, its advanced AI assistant. Currently, Gemini can manage tasks across apps like Spotify and WhatsApp, with more apps to follow in future updates. The Android 16 beta is available now for Google Pixel devices from the Pixel 6 onward, including the Pixel Tablet, as part of Google’s accelerated release schedule, with the full rollout coming in Q2.

FAQs