Today Google unveiled the final, stable build of Android 16, now available for smartphones, tablets, and other Android-powered devices.
As expected, the update is landing first on Google's own Pixel phones as well as the Pixel Tablet. At the same time, support for the oldest Pixel models is ending, with Android 16 available starting from the Pixel 6 series onward.
Arguably the most notable and user-facing change in Android 16 is the forced bundling of notifications. In practical terms, this means that if an app floods your device with alerts - say, for every single comment on your latest viral post - those notifications will no longer overwhelm your notification shade. Instead, they'll be grouped into a single expandable notification cluster.
Visually, Android 16 doesn't look all that different from Android 15. That's because the complete visual overhaul, dubbed Material 3 Expressive, is slated for release later this year as a follow-up update.
Pixel phone owners should already see the update available automatically via the software update menu. The one exception? Those running the Android 16 QPR1 beta builds. These users will need to roll back to Android 15 before upgrading to the stable Android 16 release. You can also find details on which other manufacturers' devices are slated to receive Android 16.
Android 16 also marks a notable shift in Google's release cycle. Traditionally, new Android versions have launched in the fall. This year, Google accelerated the schedule - so much so that many phone makers haven't even finished rolling out Android 15 to all of their devices.
Arguably the most notable and user-facing change in Android 16 is the forced bundling of notifications. In practical terms, this means that if an app floods your device with alerts - say, for every single comment on your latest viral post - those notifications will no longer overwhelm your notification shade. Instead, they'll be grouped into a single expandable notification cluster.
Visually, Android 16 doesn't look all that different from Android 15. That's because the complete visual overhaul, dubbed Material 3 Expressive, is slated for release later this year as a follow-up update.
Pixel phone owners should already see the update available automatically via the software update menu. The one exception? Those running the Android 16 QPR1 beta builds. These users will need to roll back to Android 15 before upgrading to the stable Android 16 release. You can also find details on which other manufacturers' devices are slated to receive Android 16.
Android 16 also marks a notable shift in Google's release cycle. Traditionally, new Android versions have launched in the fall. This year, Google accelerated the schedule - so much so that many phone makers haven't even finished rolling out Android 15 to all of their devices.
