#Android

Google has released Android 16 QPR1 Beta right after the Google I/O event, bringing the new Material 3 Expressive UI, bringing a complete UI overhaul. This includes changes to the Quick Settings, Lock Screen, Settings app, the Pixel Launcher. Besides, the update also adds new Media and Volume Controls, Customizations, and more. Speaking of which, Google's At a Glance has been moved to the right rather than appearing on top of the clock.

Android 16 will officially start rolling out sometime in June. This was confirmed by Google's Director of Product Management for Pixel and Android system UI, Allen Huang. The update will not bring Material 3 Expressive, as they are scheduled to arrive later this year. 

A new report suggests improvements are coming to the existing Factory Reset Protection with Android 16. Unlike the current implementation which bad actors figured out a way to bypass (although the phone would still be unusable), Google is tightening FRP further.

Google officially unveiled Material 3 Expressive at the Android Show I/O ahead of the official Google I/O. Coming with Android 16, it features emotional design, smoother interactions, dynamic colors, and springy animations. It is also coming to Pixel watches with the WearOS 6 update, bringing the same design improvements better suited for smartwatches. 

In a response to a bug report submitted on the Android Issue Tracker, Google has confirmed that the Battery Health feature will only be available from Pixel 8a and above devices. This means the feature isn't coming to Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and Pixel 7 and 6 series. The Battery Health feature mysteriously vanished for many Pixel users after Android 16 Beta 4. While users considered it a bug, we now know that it was intentional. According to the search giant, the reason the feature isn't coming to older Pixels is due to “Product limitations.”

A feature called “Bubble anything” has been in the works on Pixels for quite some time. While it's been almost six months since it last surfaced, according to Mishaal Rahman's latest findings, Google hasn't abandoned it. If anything, it appears to have gotten better with a bubble bar accompanying it. For those unaware, as the name suggests, the Bubble anything feature lets you minimize windows in the form of bubbles at the bottom of your screen. It's similar to the chat bubbles API that Android 11 introduced to have floating chat bubbles on the display.

Android 16 Beta 4 is available on Pixel 6 and above devices, and it brings a few changes and improvements across the board. There are changes to the Always on Display, addition of a few new buttons, a new option in the long press menu in the launcher, and lastly, an added option to take the Gesture Navigation demo.

Google has added a new API to Android 16 which could allow app developers to integrate app settings into Android's settings app. The API is called SettingsPreferenceService. It has parameters that correspond to various permissions and configurations which users can change or access. iOS has had the feature for quite some time now.

Android's Theft Detection Lock feature is malfunctioning, locking devices randomly even when not stolen. Users report the feature triggers unexpectedly, often when the device is idle or offline. The feature raises questions about its actual usefulness and whether it will function properly in actual theft situations.

Chrome's Desktop Android builds have been spotted many times before. According to Mishaal Rahman, these Chrome Android Desktop builds were available for download before but couldn't run extensions. However, a recent code change makes it possible to install and use extensions on these desktop builds. After installing the Chrome Desktop builds, Mishaal reports extensions like Dark Reader, Keepa, and uBlock Origin worked flawlessly. However, there were some extensions that were unusable.

Google is transitioning Android development entirely to an internal branch. While the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) remains accessible, developers will face challenges in tracking and contributing to progress. This move aims to streamline Android developement processes but may limit transparency.

Android 16 Beta 3 update didn't bring any major changes, but it enables the screen-off fingerprint feature on other Pixels. The Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock option in the Fingerprint Unlock settings menu allows users to unlock the phone with the screen off. This means, unlike previously where users had to tap to wake up the screen and then use the fingerprint to unlock, they can now just press on the fingerprint sensor region to unlock the phone.

Earlier today, reports of Pixels gaining massive improvements in GPU benchmarks piled up on the r/pixel_phones subreddit. Users are reporting an almost 25% to 60% increase in GeekBench 6 GPU tests on all Tensor-powered Pixels. Out of all the devices, the Google Pixel 7a seems to have gained the most performance, almost doubling the compute score. Android expert Mishaal Rahman believes it's due to the latest ARM Mali GPU drivers that Google is shipping with Android 16 Beta 3. With Google bumping the Mali GPU Kernel driver version to r52p0, which was released in October last year.

In a feature request on Android's IssueTracker where a user asked the developers to open-source Debian VM tweaks and tell them the exact purpose of the VM, a Google engineer replied he main purpose of the Linux terminal feature is to bring more apps (Linux apps/tools/games) into Android, but NOT to bring yet another desktop environment. This more or less confirms that Google wants Android users to be able to run Desktop Linux apps, just like on ChromeOS. Adding to the statement, the engineer also said that Google's not against users or manufacturers installing or shipping another Linux Destop Environment like GNOME or KDE. Linux apps, for the most part, will use Android's native desktop windowing system.

With version 1.2025.070, the “Default digital assistant app” page in the Settings app shows ChatGPT as one of the options. All you need to do is select ChatGPT to set it as your default assistant. Besides, you can also assign the long-press power button shortcut to ChatGPT for easy access. The feature might not be rolling out to all Beta users, though, as using the latest Beta, we couldn't see the option in settings. The overlay bubble clearly needs some polish as the animations are still far off from what Gemini or Perplexity offer.

Android 16 Beta 3 is now rolling out to all Pixel 6 and above devices and fixes a few issues with the previous builds. The update also incorporates the latest March security patch, and the changelog highlights fixes for issues such as battery drain, outdated At a Glance information, performance, and Bluetooth pairing. Besides, it brings a few new features like Auracast support for Pixel 9 series, Outline text, which makes the text easier to read, and Local Network Protection, alongside an easter egg teasing Android 16's Live Activities.

While enthusiasts were expecting big UI improvements like the revamped Quick Settings panel to hit Android 16, that's unfortunately not the case. Android 16 Beta 2 brings a few features but they are mostly minor like a switch user widget, changes to the measurement system, and double press power button to open Wallet.

Google has dropped the Android 16 Beta 1 update, and this brings several new changes like force app resizeability will be enabled by default for tablets, support for live updates, Samsung's APV codec and predictive back gesture in third party apps.

The upcoming Android 16 update may bring an improved multitasking experience, with a 90:10 ratio in split screen mode, similar to OnePlus' Open Canvas feature. This would allow users to enlarge one app and keep another open, making it easier to use on smaller devices and focus on a single app.

Xiaomi has changed its bootloader unlock policy. The new policy restricts it to only one device a year, per account. This was previously 3 devices per year, per account. The new policy could immensely slow down the development process and lead to developers prioritizing some devices over others.

Google has added an option in Android 15 DP 2 to unlock using their Pixel 9's fingerprint sensor even when the screen is off. There's a new toggle on the Fingerprint Unlock page "Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock" with the description "Use Fingerprint Unlock even when the screen is off."

Google is rolling out the second Developer Preview for Android 16, and it is available for Pixel 6 and above devices. The update brings along minor improvements that are mainly targeted towards Pixel devices like the ability to unlock the phone with the screen off, and enhanced Now Playing feature. It also includes several under the hood improvements.

The upcoming Android 16 update will introduce a Night Mode Indicator API, allowing apps to detect ambient light situations and adjust their camera settings accordingly. This feature will improve low-light photo quality in apps like Instagram and Snapchat, with three distinct values for different lighting conditions.

Bundled Notifications on Android will silence and group notifications with similar themes will for a quieter and cleaner experience. Notifications will be categorized just like Gmail categorizes emails across — Promotions, Social, and Recommendations.

When Satellite Messaging is available, a "Connect to satellite to send and receive messages" prompt with a Connect option will appear. This prompt will also stay during chats just above the text box, essentially reminding you to connect to Satellite messaging. Ideally, these options should only appear when there's no internet and cellular network.

Google has finally unveiled its entry into the emerging market of virtual and augmented reality with Android XR OS. The new and upcoming OS will be powered by Gemini and will have a variety of Google apps. Android XR OS is a product of Google's collaboration with Samsung and Qualcommm.

Android is getting rid of the need to sign into Android apps after transferring your data onto a new smartphone using a new Restore Credentials feature. The feature is a part of the Credentials Manager API and will be available on all Android devices running Android 9.0 and above.