Google has launched the first Android 16 beta to developers and early adopters, providing insight into what the OS will bring later this year. A post on the official Android Developers Blog reveals multiple quality-of-life changes, such as ending screen orientation and resizability restrictions for apps “on large screens.”
Many mobile apps on the Android ecosystem are developed primarily for traditional smartphones and not for foldable devices like the OnePlus Open. Unoptimized apps will keep their orientation on a foldable, which has the side effect of leaving blank spaces around the sides. This change allows apps to scale appropriately to run on “any window size [or] aspect ratio.”
Next, a “new class of notifications” called Live Updates is being added to Android 16. This lets users monitor and quickly access important ongoing activities as they occur — similar to how Live Activities work on the lock screen of iPhones. For example, Uber Eats could utilize this to provide more detailed progress tracking. Custom icons for the start, specific segments, and the end of a food delivery can be added to the app.
However, the feature could see limited implementation. The company suggests that Live Updates only be used for “ride sharing, food delivery, and [map] navigation” apps. It’s unknown at this time if there are plans to expand the use case of Live Update beyond the three mentioned in the post, but wider integration of such features never hurts.
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Third, content creators will appreciate the newfound support for the APV (Advanced Professional Video) codec. This standard serves as the groundwork for several AV features, including, but not limited to, support for HDR 10+, video quality that sticks close to raw footage, and “frame tiling for immersive content.”
How to download the Android 16 beta
The Android 16 patch includes other features, but the three we mentioned caught our eye the most. The beta is available to the public for download from Google’s website. However, you will need one of 15 supporting Pixel models, like the Pixel Fold or the Pixel 9 Pro XL. It’s unavailable for download on third-party devices.
Although it’s free for everyone, there are some things to know before installing any beta software. For example, there’s a good chance it may not run optimally or have a ton of bugs present. Plus, it’s unknown if any third-party developers have optimized their software yet; Your favorite apps may not work properly at the time of this writing.
A release date for Android 16 has not been given, although Google had indicated previously that it plans to launch the operating system version earlier than usual this year, likely before the fall season.