Android 16 is launching this year, and Google has unveiled its key features and changes. To get you up to speed, here are the five biggest takeaways from the announcement.
Enhanced User Experience with Material 3 Expressive Design
Examples of Android 16After three years, 46 studies, and feedback from 18,000 global testers, Google introduces Material 3 Expressive, a new design language aimed at evoking emotion. Through strategic use of color, shapes, animation, and more, Google strives to create a more engaging and responsive user experience.
Meticulous research, including eye-tracking and control identification studies, informed the design, resulting in a system that is more intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable. New button groups, loading indicators, toolbars, and split buttons enhance functionality, while natural, springy animations and improved font readability add a touch of delight. However, the focus remains on practicality, ensuring users can quickly understand and navigate the interface.
These refinements are evident throughout the OS, from smoother notification dismissals to context-highlighting background blurring. A prime example is the redesigned Send button in Gmail. Relocated above the keyboard, it’s now four times easier to find, significantly improving user flow. Impressively, these changes enhance usability for users of all ages and abilities.
Google encourages developers to embrace Material 3 Expressive in their apps, emphasizing functionality, intentional design, and adherence to new accessibility guidelines. New tools and design elements, including decorative shapes, animations, fonts, and color schemes, empower developers to create richer, more engaging app experiences.
Wear OS 6 Embraces Material 3
The Google Pixel Watch 3 lying on top of a plant.Material 3 Expressive extends to smartwatches with Wear OS 6. Optimized for circular displays, the UI adapts seamlessly to maximize screen real estate, incorporating many elements from Android 16.
Expect to see the same springy buttons and boxes, dynamic color themes, and updated icons for at-a-glance information. Wear OS 6 boasts a more informative layout, easier-to-tap buttons, and a focused design, mirroring the phone experience. Furthermore, Google claims the optimized software will improve battery life by 10% on both upgraded and new smartwatches.
Google describes Material 3 Expressive in Android 16 and Wear OS 6 as “a fundamental shift” in how these devices function, emphasizing that it’s far more than a superficial redesign.
Expanding the Reach of Google Gemini AI
Google Gemini on new devices.Google’s AI, Gemini, is expanding its presence in Android 16 and beyond. Replacing Google Assistant on Wear OS, Gemini enables natural language interaction and connects with various apps to retrieve information seamlessly.
Gemini is also coming to Android Auto and Google Built-in for cars, offering a safer, hands-free experience through natural conversation. Its ability to interact with different apps allows for message summarization, locating charging stations or gas stations along your route, providing news updates, and starting playlists. Gemini’s responses have been optimized for in-car use, ensuring concise and relevant information delivery.
Furthermore, Gemini will be integrated into Android XR, Google’s collaborative software platform with Samsung, and Google TV, extending its AI capabilities across a wider range of devices.
Introducing Find Hub: Location Tracking and More
A promotional image showing GoogleFind My Device evolves into Find Hub, an app that goes beyond tracking lost items to facilitate connection with friends and family. Find Hub will support location tracking in products from brands like Peak and July, with upcoming ultra-wideband tracking support in tags like the Moto Tag.
Partnerships with airlines like British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Iberia enable Bluetooth location sharing for lost luggage. Later this year, satellite connectivity will allow communication even without cellular service, further expanding Find Hub’s reach and utility.
Enhanced Safety and Security Features
A promotional image showing GoogleAndroid 16 prioritizes safety and security with new tools and protections. During calls with unknown numbers, real-time on-device alerts will warn of potential scams, including crypto, gift card, and tech support scams. These protections also extend to Messages.
New accessibility permissions for apps downloaded outside the Play Store, enhanced screen sharing safeguards, and in-call protections for banking apps bolster security. Advanced Protection, ideal for security-conscious users, locks down the device upon detecting potential threats. Later this year, more robust factory reset options will provide greater control over which features are reset. Key Verifier, using a QR code to confirm end-to-end encryption, alerts users to discrepancies, such as SIM-swap attacks.
Google announced these Android 16 features in a dedicated Android Show broadcast on YouTube, preceding its annual developer conference, Google I/O, starting May 20.
