Google’s Head of Android confirmed that Android 16 is on track for release in June 2025, which is ahead of the typical schedule for new Android versions.
What to expect from Android 16?
Sameer Samat, Google’s president of the Android ecosystem, shared this information with Android Police during Mobile World Congress 2025. Historically, Android versions have been released in the fall, often alongside new Pixel phones. For reference, Android 15 was released on October 15, 2024, and Android 14 on October 4, 2023.
Android 16’s development timeline reflects its acceleration; the first beta version launched on January 24, 2025, followed by a second beta on February 14. Notably, the first beta version of Android 15 did not appear until April of the previous year.
This expedited schedule is attributed to Google’s new development strategy called Trunk Stable. Samat explained that this approach allows all Android developers to work on the same branch of code, streamlining the process by eliminating the need for merging different branches later. He noted, “One of the challenges we set ourselves internally is to see if we can get this out earlier.”
Samat expressed optimism about the current state of the software, stating, “So far, so good. I’ve never had a release where at this point the bug count was where I wanted it to be, but the team is working really hard, and we’re excited about getting it there.”
Currently, Android 16 is in its second beta phase. In recent years, Google has typically released its new software in August or later and often aligned these releases with new Pixel device launches.
While specific features of Android 16 are not fully disclosed, the early betas have introduced several new functionalities. These include Live Updates, a new category of notifications, enhanced accessibility for Google Wallet, support for the APV (Advanced Professional Video) codec, and various upgrades to the camera software.
With Google I/O scheduled for May 20-21, 2025, further details regarding Android 16 are anticipated to be announced at that time. As of now, the most recent update, Android 16 Beta 2.1, is accessible to Pixel phone users, and Google aims for a full release by the end of June.
Featured image credit: Kerem Gülen/Ideogram
