Release notes

About Android 16 Beta 1

Beta 1 is now available, with the latest features and changes to try with your apps. Beta 1 is also the first Android 16 release for early adopters and Android enthusiasts who want to try out what's coming in Android 16. This release is suitable for development, testing, and general use. However, Android 16 is still in active development, so the Android system and apps running on it might not always work as expected.

As with previous versions, Android 16 includes system changes. In some cases, these changes can affect apps until they are updated to support Android 16, so you might see impacts ranging from minor issues to more significant limitations. In general, most apps will work as expected, as will most APIs and features, but please review any known issues listed on this page to get a better idea of what to expect.

What's new in Beta 1

Android 16 Beta 1 includes new features and changes to try out with your apps:

• Ordered broadcast priority scope no longer global
• ART internal changes
• Support for 3-button navigation
• Migration or opt-out required for predictive back
• Fixed rate work scheduling optimization
• Adaptive layouts
• Progress-centric notifications
• Supplemental descriptions
• Required form fields
• Camera night mode scene detection
• Generic ranging APIs
• Advanced Professional Video
• Vertical text
• Phone as microphone input for voice calls with LEA hearing aids
• Ambient volume controls for LEA hearing aids

How to get Beta 1

You can install this release on any of the following Google Pixel devices:

• Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
• Pixel 6a
• Pixel 7 and 7 Pro
• Pixel 7a
• Pixel Fold
• Pixel Tablet
• Pixel 8 and 8 Pro
• Pixel 8a
• Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold

If you're already running a Developer Preview or Beta build, you will automatically receive an over-the-air (OTA) update to Beta 1. Otherwise, see Get Android 16 for details on how to get started.

Remember to update your SDK and the Android Emulator as well before you try out the latest features and changes. The best way to do this is using the SDK Manager in the latest preview version of Android Studio.

Depending on your development and testing needs, you can also get Android 16 in the following ways:

• Get Android 16 on the Android Emulator.

• Get a generic system image (GSI).

General advisories

Be aware of these general advisories about the release:

• This release might have various stability, battery, or performance issues.
• For users with accessibility needs, this release might not be appropriate for daily use.
• Some apps might not function as expected when running on this release. This limitation includes Google's apps as well as other apps.
• Android 16 Beta builds aren't Compatibility Test Suite (CTS)-approved, but they have passed preliminary testing and provide a stable set of pre-release APIs for developers. Apps that depend on CTS-approved builds or use the Play Integrity API (SafetyNet APIs are deprecated) might not work normally on Android 16 Beta builds.

Get support

Two primary support channels are available to you when developing and testing with Beta . The channel you should use to get support depends on where you are encountering your issue.

• Support for device-specific issues, system issues, and issues with Google apps: Use the Issue Tracker to create new issues and to view and track issues that you and other developers have submitted.

  Before creating your own issue, check the known issues listed on this page and search the lists of top open issues and recently created issues to see if someone else has already reported it. You can subscribe and vote for an issue by clicking star this issue .

  See Where to report issues to find an issue template that best matches the type of issue that you are encountering.

• Support for issues with other apps: Contact the app developer directly.

To discuss issues or ideas with other developers working with the Android 16 Beta, join the android_beta community on Reddit.

Top resolved issues

Android 16 Beta 1 resolves the top issues that are described in the following sections and includes fixes for some issues that are not noted here.

• Fixed an issue that caused NFC payments to fail in some cases due to a null pointer exception.
• Fixed an issue that caused excessive battery drain when some apps were running in the background.
• Fixed an issue where tapping an ongoing media notification sometimes failed to launch the corresponding app.
• Fixed an issue where, on some devices, the camera screen sometimes flashed if the zoom level was adjusted while recording video.
• Fixed various other issues that were impacting system stability.

Top open issues

See top open issues for the latest list of top open issues that have been reported by developers.

Other known issues

Based on our testing, you might encounter the following issues when using Android 16 Beta 1. These issues are already known, so there's no need to file additional reports for similar issues.

Android platform

• An issue with Java LazyValue ClassLoader sometimes causes apps to crash with a ClassNotFoundException.
• Simulated touch events fail while using ADB or accessibility services.

Apps

• Apps that depend on the following library might experience intermittent crashes and other stability issues because this library relies on internal ART structures:
  • HiddenApiBypass (org.lsposed.hiddenapibypass:hiddenapibypass)
• The audio for the YouTube app sometimes continues playing in the background if, after the video is paused, the app is minimized, and then a video is played through another app.
• The Google TV app sometimes crashes during launch and displays a "There was an error" message.
• The Google TV app sometimes displays a blank screen if the app is reopened shortly after it was closed.

Previous preview releases

The following sections describe each of the previous releases during this preview cycle.

Android 16 Developer Preview 2

Developer Preview 2 is now available, with the latest features and changes to try with your apps. This build includes changes designed to enhance the app experience, improve battery life, and boost performance while minimizing incompatibilities, and your feedback is critical in helping us understand the full impact of this work.

This release is for developers only, to help with early development, testing, and feedback. Android 15 Developer Preview 2 is an early baseline build that's still in active development, so the Android system and apps running on it might not always work as expected.

What's new in Developer Preview 2

Android 16 Developer Preview 2 includes new features and changes to try out with your apps:

• JobScheduler quota optimizations
• Deprecating disruptive accessibility announcements
• Predictive back updates
• Richer haptics
• System-triggered profiling
• Start component in ApplicationStartInfo
• Better job introspection
• Adaptive refresh rate
• Ranging with enhanced security
• Photo picker improvements
• Health Connect updates

Top resolved issues

Android 16 Developer Preview 2 resolves the top issues that are described in the following sections and includes fixes for some issues that are not noted here.

Developer-reported issues

• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the screen brightness on a device to be set to 0% when the device was woken up. (Issue #379979158)
• Fixed an issue that caused the Terminal app to display a "No local assets" error when launched. (Issue #380010668)

Other known issues

Based on our testing, you might encounter the following issues when using Android 16 Developer Preview 2. These issues are already known, so there's no need to file additional reports for similar issues.

Android platform

• Simulated touch events fail while using ADB or accessibility services.
• Tapping an ongoing media notification sometimes fails to launch the corresponding app.
• On some devices, the camera screen sometimes flashes if the zoom level is adjusted while recording video.

Android 16 Developer Preview 1

Welcome to the Android 16 Developer Preview! This first release is for developers only, to help with early development, testing, and feedback. Android 16 Developer Preview 1 is an early baseline build that's still in active development, so the Android system and apps running on it might not always work as expected.

What's new in Developer Preview 1

Android 16 Developer Preview 1 is the start of Android having more frequent API releases as part of our effort to drive faster innovation in apps and devices.

• Two Android API releases in 2025
• Photo picker improvements
• Health Connect updates
• Privacy Sandbox on Android

Known issues

Based on our testing, you might encounter the following issues when using Android 16 Developer Preview 1. These issues are already known, so there's no need to file additional reports for similar issues.

Android platform

• Tapping an ongoing media notification sometimes fails to launch the corresponding app.
• On some devices, the camera screen sometimes flashes if the zoom level is adjusted while recording video.