Summary

• Android 16 launches with Live Updates, grouped notifications, and enhanced hearing aid support.
• Tablet users benefit from desktop windowing, custom shortcuts, and an improved taskbar in Android 16.
• The June Pixel Drop introduces VIP contacts, AI-generated stickers, and expanded accessibility features.

Google has been vocal about Android 16, but after months of teasing, it’s now stable and being rolled out to devices. This update is setting the stage for the upcoming Material 3 Expressive redesign while offering several new features in the meantime.

Ever find yourself repeatedly checking your food delivery app, wondering where your order is? Android 16’s “Live Updates” aims to ease that anxiety. Compatible ride-sharing and food delivery apps can now provide real-time updates directly in the notification shade, so you’ll always know exactly where your driver or meal is—no need to open the app. Samsung's Now Bar and OPPO and OnePlus' Live Alerts will also receive this functionality.

Regarding the notification shade, if yours tends to be a chaotic mess, you're in luck. Android 16 automatically groups notifications from a single app into one compact notification. This works similarly to how Gmail displays multiple emails in a single, expandable format, but now it applies to all apps.

For those who use hearing aids, Android 16 brings notable enhancements. Previously, LE audio hearing devices used their own front-facing microphones, which are designed to capture the voice of the person you’re speaking with—not your own. Now, you can switch to using your phone’s microphone for clearer calls, especially in noisy environments. Additionally, Android 16 adds native controls for hearing devices, giving you easy access to settings like volume adjustment right from your phone.

If you're a tablet user, Android 16 offers some exciting improvements too. Google collaborated with Samsung to bring desktop-style windowing to Android 16, providing a better way to interact with apps on larger screens. Beyond standard single-app and split-screen modes, you'll now be able to open, move, and resize multiple windows simultaneously, just like on a desktop computer. This desktop windowing feature will become available on compatible devices later this year.

In addition, you'll gain access to custom keyboard shortcuts, allowing you to create your own hotkey combinations, and a taskbar overflow menu to help locate the app you need when the taskbar gets crowded. Future updates promise even more productivity tools, including the ability to connect tablets and phones to external displays for desktop windowing.

Android 16 is now rolling out to Pixel devices starting today. The full Material 3 Expressive redesign won’t arrive on phones until later this year. But there's more—the June Pixel Drop is also here.

First up, you can keep important contacts even closer with “Pixel VIPs.” This Pixel-exclusive widget is essentially an advanced version of “Priority Contacts.” To make the most of it, input as much detail as possible—birthdays, emails, addresses, preferences. You'll see your last call and message (even from some third-party apps), view shared location, and get event updates like birthdays. VIPs can also bypass Do Not Disturb.

Gboard’s stickers are getting more personalized thanks to Pixel Studio. Powered by Gemini AI, you can generate nearly anything you imagine directly from Gboard. Just type your prompt, pick an emotion, and send it—all without switching apps. You can even convert photos from your camera roll into stickers with the background removed, leaving only your chosen subject.

Google is also expanding the reach of existing Pixel features. Satellite SOS is now active in Australia. The Recorder app now provides AI-generated summaries in both French and German. For Pixel 8 users, the Recorder app’s Clear Voice feature helps eliminate background noise for crystal-clear recordings. There’s also a new “education hub” within the Pixel camera app. Simply tap the question mark icon in the upper right corner for detailed instructions for each mode.

Accessibility features are also seeing updates. The Magnifier app now supports live search, letting you learn more about your surroundings without taking a photo. Just type what you’re looking for, and Magnifier highlights matches on your screen as you move your phone. A subtle vibration alerts you when something is found. Also, “Expressive Captions” recognize the intensity and emotion in speech, including elongated words like “noooooo.”

As mentioned, Android 16 and the June Pixel Drop are rolling out to Pixel devices starting today. The complete Material Expressive redesign will arrive later this year, likely alongside the Pixel 10 series. Other brands will begin receiving Android 16 later this year as well.

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