The first beta for Android 16 has arrived, here's the features you need to know about!
Buckle up, Android nerds! The first beta of Android 16 is here, and it's packed with new features and some serious game-changers that'll make developers do a happy dance and users nod in impressed silence with the next version of the Android operating system. Google shared the info thanks to a blog post by friend of Android Faithful, Matthew McCullough, Vice President, Product Management, Android Developer at Google.
You can read our very own Mishaal Rahman's breakdown of this release over at Android Police. In the meantime, here's a quick summary of the things worth noting in Android 16 Beta!
Remember when apps used to throw a tantrum when you tried to resize them on larger screens? Those days are officially over! Android 16 is showing some tough love to app developers by phasing out orientation and resizability restrictions. On screens wider than 600dp, apps targeting API level 36 will now gracefully adapt like a digital chameleon. It's like forcing your apps to do yoga for foldables - they'll learn to be flexible, whether they want to or not!
Live Updates introduce a new notification class for tracking ongoing activities, with the ProgressStyle template offering a consistent user experience specifically designed for ridesharing, delivery, and navigation contexts. This template supports custom icons, journey state tracking, and milestone visualization, enabling users to monitor real-time progress through segmented, informative notifications that provide quick access to important activity details.
Calling all content creators and video nerds! Android 16 is introducing the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, which is basically the Swiss Army knife of video codecs. We're talking:
It's like giving your smartphone a Hollywood-grade video production studio.
Google's continuing its commitment to making technology inclusive. New APIs will help developers create more accessible apps, including:
For the true tech nerds, Android 16 is making internal changes to the Android Runtime (ART) that promise performance improvements. Just a heads up to developers: if you've been playing fast and loose with internal structures, it might be time to clean up your code.
If you're a developer, now's the time to:
Overall, the Android 16 Beta train has left the station and we're moving so fast towards platform stability much earlier than previous years. Should be an exciting ride!
Stay tuned to the Android Faithful podcast to hear Mishaal Rahman's breakdown of the beta as we track it towards release!
