Google recently announced the latest Android 16 update, and it has quite a lot of features on offer for Android users. The QPR2 update marks a new chapter in how Google delivers Android updates from the normal yearly ones to more frequent ones.
The features are already rolling out to Android 16 on eligible Pixel devices, so check them out!
AI-powered notification summaries
The new update on Android 16 will condense longer messages and group chats so that you can understand everything at a glance.
Notification organizer
This will automatically group and silence your lower-priority notifications, such as news, social alerts, and promotions, to reduce distractions. This reminds me of scheduled summary notifications on iOS, and this will be great for sorting out the millions of notifications we get each day.
Personalization
Android 16 will now let you further customize your phone with custom icon shapes, themed icons, and an expanded option in dark theme.
Notifying your friends when your call is urgent
This is a feature in beta coming soon to the Google app, where you can flag a call to a saved contact as urgent. The recipient will see on their incoming call screen and know that it is time-sensitive. If the recipient misses the call, the urgent note will stay on the call history so that they can action.
Leave and report unwanted group chats
On Google Messages, you can now easily spot and leave unwanted group chats. This is especially key for those instances where you are invited into a group by an unknown number. You will get a one-tap action splash screen that allows you to leave the chat, block the number and report it as spam.
Circle to Search for Scams
On Android 16, you can use circle to search to quickly find more information about what you see on your screen, especially if you suspect a scam. The AI overview will show you information from across the web and will let you know if the message is a scam.
Pin important tabs on Chrome
On Chrome for Android, you will be able to pin tabs important to you so that you don’t lose them, and it will let you pick up right where you left off.
Parental controls
The new Parental Controls on Android 16 will have a cohesive place to help parents build healthy habits. This includes setting the amount of screen time, set downtime schedules, controlling app usage, and even granting more time when the time limit is reached. These controls are protected by a PIN that the parent/guardian sets.
Expressive Captions
Expressive Captions creates real-time captions which show the full emotion of how someone is speaking. This is particularly useful when you are watching a video with the sound off.
Emoji Kitchen
On Gboard, you will be able to combine your favourite stickers for better ways to express yourself, especially during this festive season.
Accessibility options
If you use mice with your Android phone, autoclick will allow an improved cursor experience, which will reduce physical strain. This is a welcome accessibility feature on the new Android 16 release.
You will also be able to start dictating on Gboard with a simple two-finger double-tap.
On the Pixel camera app, guided frame will help people with low vision take great photos. Using Gemini models, it will give contextual information about what is in the camera view so that you can take a photo.
