Google releases Android 16 Developer Preview 1 as part of an accelerated schedule

Google recently announced plans for two major Android updates in 2025 as part of an effort to better align its big operating system updates with the release schedules favored by phone makers. The first will be a major update that brings new behavior changes as well as new developer APIs, while the second will focus primarily on the latter.

But in order for the next flagship phones from Samsung and other companies to ship with Android 16, Google will have to release the operating system in the second quarter of 2025 instead of the third. And now the company has started the clock by releasing the first developer preview of Android 16.

In a blog post aimed at developers, Google notes that some of the new features in Android 16 include updated APIs that allow developers to use Android’s default photo picker in a way that should “feel more like an integrated part of the app,” a developer preview of Health Connect with “an dearly version of APIs supporting health records,” and an updated Privacy Sandbox on Android.

But bloggers at sites including 9to5Google and Android Authority have started digging through Android 16 DP1 to find other user-facing changes that you’re more likely to notice when you’re actually using a phone running Android 16.

Keep in mind that this is just the first in a series of developer preview and beta releases scheduled before the operating system is ready for the public. So some things may change between now and the stable release in the first half of 2025. But here are some things that appear to be baked into Android 16 so far:

• There’s native support for Bluetooth Audio Sharing, which allows you to wirelessly transmit audio to multiple devices simultaneously using Bluetooth LE Audio broadcasting (also known as Auracast). In other words, multiple people can put in their earbuds and listen to the same song, podcast, or audiobook. Streams can optionally be password protected.
• Notification cooldown is a new feature that can save your ears and eyes if you get a bunch of alerts in a short period of time, by lowering the volume and minimizing alerts for up to two minutes.
• Rather than “Extra dim,” Google’s display settings and Quick Settings tile now offer an Even dimmer option.