Android 16: These 6 features are worth the update

For years, Google published the latest version of Android in the third quarter of the year, generally towards the end of summer or the start of fall. Android 16 was rather launched much earlier, so It’s already in nature. This means that people with modern smartphones can expect it as soon as possible.

In general, you must always accept official updates. Not only do you get the latest features, but you also get security updates that keep your phone safe. So, if you decide to update for no other reason, it alone should be good enough. While Google I / O 2025, the Android I / S program and the developer’s beta version gave us a fairly good overview of the future of Android, I tested the new update now that it is officially here.

So, if you want to excite yourself for new fresh features, I have new nice things to share. If you are waiting to press the update button, here are some features that Google has packaged in Android 16 which can convince you to do so.

Expressive equipment 3

Let’s start with what you are most likely to see first, and this is the new of Android 16 Expressive 3 IU hardware update. This introduces a multitude of adaptive user interface elements and reactive to the operating system, from buttons that shake when you interact with them with application controls which are more colorful and dynamic than their more static predecessors.

You can find some examples in Google’s video for thatBut everything is quite well thought out. This will not change the functionality of anything, but by giving a whole new layer of paint and a more responsible nature, it is definitely a feeling of Android 16 from Android 15, and this will become even more apparent than applications support the new user interface.

Adaptive applications make the foldables even cooler

Speaking of applications, Google has put sauce in Android 16 to improve these features. This will not yet be easy because the developers need time to integrate it, but the idea is neat. Google calls it adaptive applicationsAnd the idea is that application developers create their applications for a variety of screen sizes instead of one. Now that we are in the foldable era, a developer creating a user interface only for their applications is much more visible, and adaptive apps solves this problem.

The idea is quite simple. The applications would have normal air on a typical smartphone screen, but automatically spread over the width of the screen if you use them on a tablet or foldable. This solves one of the biggest pain in pain with larger screens insofar as mobile applications still only work in a direction. Like Material 3 expressive, application developers will need time to operate this, but once they will, it will look great.

Live update notifications (and stacked notifications)

One of my favorite things about Android updates each year is improvements in notifications. For Android 16, there are two. The first is what Google calls the live update notifications, or “coherent progress notifications” if you look at the API. These notifications give you real -time notifications that provide constant updates. This has been done for cases as when ordering the Doordash and the notification will show you the driver’s progress without the need to open the application. There are probably other use cases and developers have free braking to use it.

The other improvement is automatic group notifications. These take notifications from the same application and stack them in a single notification so that you do not have to eliminate two, three or even more notifications from the same application. This simplifies the notification shade by reducing the total number of notifications when the same application sends a pile, which I personally look forward to seeing.

Office windows

With Android 16, Google introduced office windows to experience. These will probably be used most often on larger screens such as computers or tablets, but it brings Android closer to the other operating system that uses Windows. You know that one. In any case, it will certainly play with the Samsung Dex mode. It is not yet available, but will be later this year, but people were able to try it with the Beta 2 QPR1 construction earlier this year.

In addition, larger screens have obtained more love from Google. External display support has been improved Depending on Android 16 now having a real desktop mode. This will make the use of your devices on larger screens with devices such as keyboards and mice much better, and gives you another way to use your device in a different way.

More security protections if you want them

Safety is always a main objective with a major Android update, and Android 16 is no different. Google has added some new tools to help you stay safe and private. One is called identity verification, which forces biometrics when accessing specific parameters and features outside of confidence locations. For example, if your phone is stolen and taken elsewhere, it will not be able to access your automatic password without your fingerprint.

The other big addition is advanced protection, which acts essentially as Windows Defender. This is an integrated safety series that can identify harmful applications, protect online attacks and even block spam calls. Finally, there is also the safety control functionality in the personal security application that allows you to check with your loved ones if you risk injury or go somewhere by yourself.

Better accessibility, especially for hearing aids

Accessibility has also obtained a fairly large boost, which is exciting for those who have disabilities. Functionally, the one we think that most people will use is improving the support for hearing aids in the call application. This adds support of more brands of hearing devices and allows you to more easily use audio devices during calls.

In addition, you can use your Android 16 phone as a microphone input for your Lea hearing aids and also adjust the ambient volume for audio devices, allowing you to manage your hearing aid much more efficiently. Android 16 also includes the native support for Auracast Broadcast Audio, which allows Bluetooth audio devices to connect to several sources, which can also be an audit for hearing disorders.

These are just some of the strong points of Android 16. We have not even mentioned the blur of the application drawer, the APV codec support and the variety of improvements that arrive on pixel devices, such as the Operation of exposure to hybrid car. This is not the biggest Android update that we have ever seen, but there are a lot of careful things to check as soon as you press this update button.