A day after Apple introduced working system overhauls at WWDC 2025, Google has launched its personal set of main software program upgrades for telephones.
Beginning Tuesday, a brand new launch of Android 16 is rolling out to Google’s Pixel smartphone lineup, including group chat to RCS, AI-powered edit strategies to Google Pictures, and assist for company badges in Google Pockets. The discharge additionally focuses on higher accessibility assist and improved customization for messaging and contacts.
Separate from Android 16, Google additionally introduced upgrades as part of its common characteristic updates for eligible Pixel telephones, “Pixel Drop.”
Android 16 enhancements
Android 16 now options iOS-style stay notifications on the lock display for real-time updates and Google’s new Materials 3 Expressive design language. There are new capabilities for safeguarding in opposition to theft and scams, together with an up to date superior safety mode to keep up safety and privateness for public figures.
Android 16 additionally provides assist for Bluetooth Low Vitality (LE) audio units, so that you could use them as a substitute of your telephone’s mic for higher name high quality. You can too management quantity in your gadget out of your telephone with new native controls.
Later this yr, Android 16 on Android tablets will get desktop-style windowing assist, Google says. The corporate additionally plans to introduce customized keyboard shortcuts to allow you to outline actions for locating an app via your personal mixture of hotkeys.
For Android 16 and different supported releases of Android, Google is rolling out an replace to Google Messages that provides RCS group chat assist. You’ll be capable of choose customized icons and mute notifications for particular chats for a specified time frame.
Android 16 additionally brings HDR screenshots, adaptive refresh fee, and compelled grouping for notifications to cut back muddle within the notification drawer.
Google Pictures has an array of latest options in Android 16 and different supported releases. Quickly, the app will be capable of counsel modifying instruments like erase, transfer, or “reimagine” for parts of a picture.
Different Android 16 enhancements embrace the flexibility to favourite units within the Google Residence app and assist to pay for public transit utilizing Google Pockets on Put on OS units, so that you don’t must take out your telephone.
Pixel June options
Alongside the brand new model of Android 16, Google is rolling out its newest set of month-to-month Pixel characteristic upgrades.
A brand new “Pixel VIPs” widget helps you to view interactions with favorites in your contact record. It reveals you your final calls and messages with the particular person, together with any you acquired from WhatsApp, and updates reminiscent of birthday and placement if the contact chooses to share them.
Pixel telephones are additionally getting extra detailed captions for video content material, together with stay streams. You’ll see captions that describe if somebody is whispering, yawning, or clearing their throat, for instance.
Elsewhere, you possibly can create customized stickers utilizing textual content prompts instantly from Google’s Gboard keyboard. Google is including assist for AI-powered summaries in French and German to the Recorder app. And customers in Australia will get Android’s Emergency SOS satellite tv for pc connectivity characteristic.
Google is including a battery well being indicator for customers with the Pixel 8a and newer Pixel units (however not the Pixel 8 and eight Professional), and Pixel 5 and later units are getting a brand new accessibility characteristic via the Magnifier app. You should use Magnifier to explain what you’re in search of, and the app will then spotlight the merchandise if there’s a match and offer you suggestions by way of haptics.
Enterprise Android customers are additionally getting updates, together with the flexibility to retailer their company badges in Google Pockets. What’s extra, they will use Google’s Gemini chatbot app within the Google Docs app on Android to summarize content material, get insights, and translate textual content. Lastly, Google is enhancing Chrome on Android’s dealing with of PDFs with linked doc viewing.
June’s Pixel Drop updates begin rolling out Tuesday.
