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Google has already released the first Android 16 Developer Preview as part of its reworked update schedule.
Features in the just-launched software are currently aimed at programmers. Health Connect lets apps access medical records in an industry-standard format with your permission, while app creators can get a more natural-feeling photo picker experience. You’ll also find the newest instance of Android’s Privacy Sandbox.
Google has also used the Developer Preview launch as an opportunity to outline the Android 16 roadmap. Developer Preview 2 (DP2) is coming in December, with the first beta due in January. The company hopes to reach “platform stability” (that is, an effectively complete experience) in March with beta 3 ahead of the official spring release.
The first Developer Preview of #Android16 is available now to test with your apps! 🎉
Android will have more frequent releases going forward–with two SDK releases in 2025, as part of our effort to drive faster innovation in apps and devices. Learn more → https://t.co/cLl4K2aldd pic.twitter.com/jJ98rvKBDG
— Android Developers (@AndroidDev) November 19, 2024
The Android 16 Developer Preview is available only as a system image, and you’ll need at least a Pixel 6 or Pixel Tablet to run it outside of the emulator. It unsurprisingly supports the latest Pixel 9 series phones.
As with all developer previews, you’ll want to avoid installing this on a must-have device unless you’re writing apps. There aren’t any significant user-facing features, and previews often include bugs and compatibility problems. Bigger upgrades, like a rumored equivalent to the iPhone’s Live Activities, might come months later.
Developer previews used to arrive in February, with finished OS updates not arriving until late summer. However, Google has shifted from one update per year to two — a major upgrade in the second quarter (in this case, Android 16) and a minor one in the fourth quarter.
The shakeup is meant to “better align” with hardware release strategies and make sure more devices get software quickly. That might come too soon for the Galaxy S25, but it could help the Pixel 9a and other expected mid-year launches.
