The first Developer Preview was released by Google in November 2024, which led to the start of testing for Android 16. The public beta followed in January 2025. At first, only Google Pixel devices were eligible for testing, but that has since changed. Brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus have also joined the early access program, allowing select users to try Android 16 before the public rollout.
We’ve curated a list of all devices that are eligible for Android 16 beta testing.
Devices eligible for Android 16 beta testing
Google Pixel:
Pixel 9
Pixel 9 Pro
Pixel 9 Pro XL
Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Pixel 8
Pixel 8 Pro
Pixel 8a
Pixel 7
Pixel 7 Pro
Pixel 7a
Pixel 6
Pixel 6 Pro
Pixel 6a
Xiaomi:
Xiaomi 15
Xiaomi 14T Pro
OnePlus:
- OnePlus 13
Advanced users and developers are the primary target audience for these early builds. If you don't have experience flashing custom ROMs, it's best to steer clear of installing them. The process has the potential to cause your device to brick.
Furthermore, these builds present a variety of known problems, and there may be additional bugs that have yet to be discovered. It's strongly suggested that you don't flash beta builds on your primary phone, at least.
Furthermore, these builds present a variety of known problems, and there may be additional bugs that have yet to be discovered. Flashing beta builds on your primary phone is strongly advised, at least.
What’s new in Android 16?
Live Updates are a standout feature in Android 16. These are prominently displayed on the lock screen and status bar, so that they don't get lost among other less-timely notifications. This feature is similar to Live Activities on iOS, but Google's implementation emphasizes high-priority notifications specifically tailored to progress-centric use cases such as navigation, food delivery, or ride-sharing.
The photo picker has been a great privacy addition to Android that restricts apps’ access to the entire media library when uploading images or videos. The app can only access photos and videos you want to upload. This is getting even in Android 16 as it’ll allow users searching from cloud media providers in the Android photo picker.
Google is working on adding support for select health records in Health Connect. This feature is being tested in Developer Preview builds and might make it to the final release. The new OS will also bring Adaptive Refresh Rate (ARR) that will help conserve battery life by dynamically adjusting the screen refresh rate based on activity.
Android 16 will have deeper Gemini AI integration, although specific details are still under wraps. Lock screen widgets are making a comeback for the first time since Android 5.0 Lollipop in 2014. Android 16 also brings plenty of small but useful changes. So, there’s a lot to took forward to in the upcoming OS.
Live Updates are a feature that stands out in Android 16. These notifications are prominently displayed on the lock screen and status bar, to prevent them from being lost among other less important notifications.
Google's implementation of this feature is similar to Live Activities on iOS, but it prioritizes notifications that are specifically tailored for progress-centric use cases such as navigation, food delivery, or ride-sharing.
