Every thing it’s essential know

Forward of the vacations, Google is pushing out the second developer preview of Android 16 to present builders time to evaluate the adjustments that’ll arrive within the steady launch subsequent yr. Android 16 DP2 brings new developer options like extra management over haptics, a strategy to decide when a tool has adaptive refresh fee help, and cloud search help within the picture picker, however it’ll seemingly additionally convey some new user-facing options. We received’t know what new user-facing options are within the replace till we really set up it on our personal units, although, so for now, right here’s every little thing Google instructed us about Android 16 Developer Preview 2.

What’s new in Android 16 Developer Preview 2?

Google’s weblog submit asserting Android 16 DP2 mentions a ton of latest developer options, however we’ll begin by highlighting those that we expect will most affect common customers.

Android 16 offers apps higher management over haptics

Android has lengthy supplied apps restricted management over the haptics of your cellphone, however in Android 16, the working system will give apps extra fine-grained management over them. Beginning in Android 16, new haptic APIs will let apps “outline the amplitude and frequency curves of a haptic impact.” This may let apps successfully customise the power and period of vibrations. As well as, these new APIs take the guesswork out of device-specific capabilities, so builders don’t want to fret in regards to the particular system they’re creating customized haptic results for.

Apps can now make the most of adaptive refresh fee in Android 16

Android 16 builds upon the adaptive refresh fee function that Google launched in Android 15. Adaptive refresh fee, if you happen to aren’t conscious, is a function that permits the show refresh fee to adapt to the content material body fee with out altering show modes, a recognized reason behind jank. The function solely works on choose units which have applied the required system-level code adjustments, although. To date, this solely contains the Google Pixel 9 collection, at the very least following the newest December Pixel Function Drop.

How adaptive refresh fee works in Android.

Though Android 15 added platform-level help for adaptive refresh fee, it didn’t supply a method for apps to truly make the most of it. That’s altering with Android 16, although, because the replace introduces a brand new hasArrSupport() technique in addition to a getSuggestedFrameRate(int) technique. It additionally restores the getSupportedRefreshRates() technique. Google can also be updating its RecyclerView library to model 1.4 which helps adaptive refresh fee when views are settling from a fling or a clean scroll.

Android’s picture picker will (quickly) add a search function

Cease if you happen to’ve heard this one earlier than: the Android picture picker will quickly allow you to search via your media gallery. Google confirmed at its I/O developer convention earlier this yr that it could add search performance to the picture picker, and the corporate is on the point of go dwell with it. Google says that search performance within the picture picker is “coming quickly” to each Android 16 and older variations of the working system via Google System Updates.

Android’s picture picker does not at present help search performance.

To arrange for this new function, Google is releasing new APIs to allow looking from the cloud media supplier for the Android picture picker. The cloud media supplier is solely the app that gives the picture picker with images and movies saved within the cloud. The one app that helps performing as a cloud media supplier proper now could be Google Images, however the API to take action is open to any cloud picture sharing service.

Android 16 makes Wi-Fi Ranging safer

Final yr’s Android 15 launch added help for a function known as Wi-Fi Ranging, a positioning expertise that permits exact indoor location monitoring. Wi-Fi Ranging permits for <1m accuracy, making it considerably extra exact than conventional Wi-Fi-based location monitoring which makes use of sign power measurements. It’s a part of the Wi-Fi 6 customary, so many current smartphones and tablets have already got the {hardware} wanted to help it — although they could want firmware updates to unlock it.

Wi-Fi Ranging is predicated on time-of-flight relatively than sign power, making it rather more exact.

In Android 16, Google is making Wi-Fi Ranging safer by introducing AES-256-based encryption and safety in opposition to MITM assaults. This may enable the expertise for use extra safely in “proximity use instances, equivalent to unlocking a laptop computer or a car door.”

Well being Join now helps exercise depth

Well being Join is getting much more upgrades in Android 16 DP2. After DP1 introduced help for storing medical data in Well being Join, DP2 is including help for brand spanking new datatypes centered round exercise depth. Particularly, it provides a brand new ACTIVITY_INTENSITY, which is outlined in keeping with World Well being Group pointers round average and vigorous exercise. Each ACTIVITY_INTENSITY report requires the beginning time, finish time, and whether or not the exercise depth is average or vigorous.

New APIs in Android 16 assist apps help the predictive again gesture

Predictive again is an Android function that helps you preview the place the again gesture will take you so that you don’t by accident exit the app when performing the gesture. The function was first launched in Android 13, however as a result of it impacts the way in which apps deal with again navigation, it stayed as a developer possibility till the newest Android 15 launch.

Though Android 15 allows system predictive again animations by default, it’s nonetheless as much as apps whether or not or not they wish to help these animations. To assist apps help them, Android 16 provides new APIs equivalent to PRIORITY_SYSTEM_NAVIGATION_OBSERVER which lets apps obtain the common onBackInvoked name when the system handles a again navigation in order to not affect the conventional again navigation circulation. It additionally provides the finishAndRemoveTaskCallback() and moveTaskToBackCallback() callbacks that allow the system “set off particular behaviors and play corresponding ahead-of-time animations when the again gesture is invoked.”

Accessibility bulletins will likely be much less disruptive in Android 16

When you depend on TalkBack or different display screen reader software program, then it’s possible you’ll be aware of how disruptive sure accessibility bulletins might be. To resolve this, Android 16 deprecates accessibility bulletins characterised by the person of announceForAccessibility or the dispatch of TYPE_ANNOUNCEMENT AccessibilityEvents. Google says these create “inconsistent person experiences” for customers of TalkBack and display screen reader software program and that there are higher alternate options. Advised alternate options are talked about within the up to date documentation for the deprecated announceForAccessibility API.

What else is new in Android 16 DP2

Listed here are the remaining developer options in Android 16 DP2. These don’t have any direct user-facing affect, so that you’ll solely wish to concentrate if you happen to’re an app developer.

• Higher job introspection:
  • Android 16 provides a brand new JobScheduler#getPendingJobReasons(int jobId) technique that returns a number of explanation why a job is pending, together with specific constraints set by the developer and implicit ones set by the system. It additionally provides JobScheduler#getPendingJobReasonsHistory(int jobId) which returns a listing of the newest constraint adjustments. Google says this API will assist builders debug why their jobs aren’t executing.
• Full deprecation of JobInfo#setImportantWhileForeground
  • The JobInfo.Builder#setImportantWhileForeground(boolean) technique will now not operate successfully and calling will probably be ignored in Android 16. This technique was deprecated in Android 12, so builders ought to have already moved away from it.
• Job execution optimizations:
  • Android 16 adjusts common and expedited job execution runtime quotas primarily based on components like which app standby bucket the app is in (lively standby buckets are given a beneficiant runtime quota), making jobs began whereas the app is seen and that proceed after the app turns into invisible adhere to the job runtime quota, and making jobs that execute concurrently with a foreground service adhere to the job runtime quota.
• Begin part in ApplicationStartInfo:
  • Android 16 provides a brand new getStartComponent() technique to differentiate what part kind triggered a course of begin. This builds upon the ApplicationStartInfo class added in Android 15, which provides apps helpful diagnostic information about course of begins.
• System triggered profiling:
  • The ProfilingManager class now contains System Triggered Profiling in Android 16, permitting for capturing “difficult hint eventualities equivalent to startups or ANRs.” Apps can use ProfilingManager#addProfilingTriggers() to register curiosity in receiving information about these flows. This builds upon the ProfilingManager class added in Android 15, which provides apps the flexibility to request profiling information assortment utilizing Perfetto on public units within the discipline.

For a full rundown of latest options Google added in Android 16 Developer Preview 1, take a look at our earlier protection. And naturally, keep tuned for our protection of the brand new user-facing options in Android 16 DP2.

When will Google launch the Android 16 beta?

Since Android 16 Developer Preview builds aren’t meant for normal customers, I’m positive you’re questioning once you’ll be capable of really attempt Android 16 out for your self. Fortuitously for you, Google already instructed us when the primary beta launch of Android 16 will drop, and it’s going to occur someday subsequent month. For reference, that’s 3 months sooner than when the primary beta of Android 15 dropped, which is important as a result of Google plans to launch Android 16 someday in Q2 of 2025.

Whereas we don’t know the precise launch date of Android 16 but (one leak suggests it’ll be June 3, 2025), we do have the final launch schedule, which is as follows:

Given that each one 4 of those betas will likely be launched earlier than when Google normally holds its annual I/O developer convention (Could), it’s exhausting to say which beta will first convey the important thing options of Android 16. Our guess is Beta 2, as Android 16 Beta 3 in March of 2025 would be the working system’s “Platform Stability” milestone, which is when issues are roughly finalized for the steady launch. Platform Stability, if you happen to aren’t conscious, is when the APIs and app-facing system behaviors are finalized for a brand new Android model. It’s additionally when Google opens up the Play Retailer to apps focusing on the newest model.

After Android 16 is launched in Q2 of 2025, Google will begin pushing out incremental updates to the platform that convey safety fixes and new user-facing options. The primary quarterly launch of Android 16 will land in Q3 of 2025 with quite a lot of adjustments that we don’t know of but. The second quarterly launch of Android 16 in This fall of 2025, although, will likely be a bit particular because it’ll really convey new developer APIs, so it’s potential it’ll even have its personal advertising identify.

How you can set up Android 16 Developer Preview 2

When you aren’t a developer, Google doesn’t need you to put in Android 16 Developer Preview 2. These builds aren’t steady, so a few of your favourite apps or options won’t work. Due to this, Google received’t push out an OTA replace to Android 16 DP2 until you’ve already manually put in Android 16 DP1 in your Pixel system.

To put in Android 16 DP2 in your Pixel system, you should use the Android Flash Instrument, an online instrument that makes it straightforward to manually set up Google Pixel updates. Merely click on one of many following hyperlinks in your PC to get began:

Every of those hyperlinks will open the Android Flash Instrument web page with the Android 16 Developer Preview 2 construct preselected. If the Android 16 DP2 builds aren’t displaying for you, then you definitely may need to attend for Google to add them to the instrument’s backend. Alternatively, you possibly can obtain the Android 16 manufacturing facility pictures proper now and manually flash Developer Preview 2 utilizing the offered script. Both method, you’ll have to arrange ADB entry in your cellphone beforehand with the intention to set up Android 16 DP2 by way of the Android Flash Instrument or manufacturing facility picture.

Android 16 DP1 frustratingly couldn’t be put in on prime of Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 — the newest obtainable beta on the time of DP1’s launch — with out wiping your system’s information. Fortuitously, that isn’t the case this time round. Google says that if you happen to’ve already put in Android 15 QPR2 Beta 2, you received’t need to carry out a manufacturing facility reset in your Pixel system emigrate to Android 16 DP2.

By default, although, each flashing choices will wipe your system’s information, so to keep away from that, it’s essential change some issues. To keep away from wiping your system’s information when utilizing the Android Flash Instrument, click on the pencil icon and uncheck “wipe system.” To keep away from a knowledge wipe when flashing a manufacturing facility picture, edit the script to take away the ‘-w’ flag from the ‘fastboot replace’ command.

When you’ve put in Android 16 DP2, you’ll mechanically get OTA updates to Android 16 Beta 1 and past. Someday in January 2025, Android 16 Beta 1 will roll out to customers who haven’t put in DP2 however who’ve enrolled within the Android Beta program.

Lastly, if you happen to don’t personal a supported Pixel system however nonetheless wish to attempt Android 16 DP2, then you possibly can boot it up utilizing the Android Emulator offered in Android Studio. Builders are really helpful to put in the newest Android Studio function drop code-named Ladybug to make the most of all the brand new options it brings.