Android 16 public beta arrives: 3 new features, how to try it now
The first Android 16 beta dropped this week — and it's ready for you to give it a whirl.
If you're one of the folks who likes to have things first, it might be the perfect opportunity for you to test-run the latest operating system for Android. You'll get to test out new features such as Live Updates and video-editing upgrades.
How to try the Android 16 beta
First, you'll need to have a newer Pixel phone. Anything from a Pixel 6 and newer should work. From there, it's simple. Just go to google.com/android/beta and opt-in, using the device on which you want to use the beta. Once you enroll, you'll get updates as a part of the beta. From there, you can test all the new features.
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What new features should you expect?
There are a number of exciting updates with the Android 16 beta, thus far. Including one that seems like a direct response to Apple.
Live Updates
This is, effectively, Android's answer to Apple's Live Activities. Google described them as "a new class of notifications that help users monitor and quickly access important ongoing activities." Basically, it shows things as they progress.
Google noted to developers that, for the moment, these notifications "are suggested only for ride sharing, food delivery, and navigation use cases." But notifications like Live Updates could, eventually, prove super useful for folks following sports games or other such live events.
Camera and media upgrades
There are a number of upgrades to the camera and media-editing abilities via Android 16 Beta, which, as Tech Radar aptly summarized, boils down to "improved support for high-resolution video recording and editing." For the advanced video editors out there, you can see the full details on Google's blog post.
Adaptive apps
Android 16 is working to phase out apps that "restrict screen orientation and resizability on large screens," Google noted. In other words, apps should work on any sized device with any sized screen.
The idea is that developers can no longer lock screen orientation, meaning an app should look good on a regular phone, a foldable, or tablet. That might feel like a small thing, but could be a huge change for everyday use.
Topics Android
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
