Google was announced on Tuesday that a slew of Android 16 updates are rolling out, along with new general Android and accessibility features. The rollout of the new Android 16 features, which are coming to Pixel devices for the first time, marks a new chapter in the way Android updates are delivered, as the company moves from a single annual update to more frequent releases.
Android 16 adds AI-powered notification summaries, which condense long messages and group conversations into quick, viewable overviews. A new “Notification Organizer” will automatically group and silence lower-priority notifications such as promotions, news and social media notifications.
The update also brings more ways to customize devices, with users having access to custom icon schemes, themed icons, and the option to auto-darken light apps, even those that don’t have their own native dark theme.
Additionally, there’s a new Parental Controls option in Android Settings that lets parents set usage time limits, create downtime schedules, control app usage, and more for their kids.
These updates start rolling out with Android 16 to eligible Pixel devices starting Tuesday.
Google is also rolling out several new Android features that aren’t specific to Android 16. A new beta feature called “Call Reason” lets users mark calls to saved contacts as “urgent.” Recipients will see this on the incoming call screen and know that it is time sensitive. If they miss the call, the “urgent” note will remain in their call history.
Google is also launching “Expressive Captions” that show all the emotion of speech with tags like [sad] or [joyful]whether it’s a video message or a social media post. The company says this will allow users to pick up the full context of what’s being said when the sound is muted.
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The tech giant is making it easier to identify and exit unwanted group chats. If an unknown number invites a user to a group, they will receive a notification showing basic information about the group. The user can then quickly choose to reply, leave the conversation, or block and report the number.
Additionally, pinned tabs in Chrome now work the same way they do on the desktop, meaning pinned pages remain stored at the front of the browser, allowing users to pick up where they left off.
Google is also updating Circle to Search, its feature that lets users search from anywhere on their phone using gestures like circling, highlighting, scribbling or tapping. Users can now analyze suspicious messages with the feature — after launching Circle to Search, an AI Overview will appear indicating whether the message is likely a scam.
For accessibility updates, Google is making it easier to use voice dictation with TalkBack on Android. Users will soon be able to start dictating on Gboard with a double-tap with two fingers. From there, Smart Dictation with Gemini will allow users to type and also edit text using natural commands. For example, users can say “replace Monday with Tuesday” to specify a date or ask Gemini to “make it shorter.”
Google is also updating the Guided Frame feature in the Pixel camera app. Previously, the feature alerted users to things like a face in the frame. Now, it will provide a more detailed description, such as “a girl in a yellow T-shirt is sitting on the couch and looking at the dog.”
Additionally, users no longer need to physically touch their phone to start using Voice Access, which allows users to control their Android devices with voice commands. Now, users just have to say “Hey Google, start Voice Access” to start controlling their phone hands-free.
The company is also launching Fast Pair for hearing aids, starting with hearing aids from Demant, a Danish company that owns several major hearing aid brands, including Oticon, Sonic and Bernafon.
