Prepare your Pixels: Android 16 is rolling out now

Android 16 is here. As Google teased yesterday, the latest stable version of its mobile OS is rolling out to Pixel phones beginning today following a beta program that started in January. The update brings with it some significant upgrades, including Material 3 Expressive elements and new tablet productivity features built in conjunction with Samsung.

Android’s splashy new redesign, Material 3 Expressive, isn’t part of the stable Android 16 rollout — you’ll have to wait until later this year to get your hands on features like Google’s redesigned quick settings panel. Other aspects previously associated with Material 3 Expressive, though, like live updates notifications, are here.

Android 16’s live updates prominently display ongoing activities in a new style of progress-oriented notification and, on devices from Android manufacturers other than Google, will be folded into existing functionality in devices from other manufacturers. Google says it’s working with OEMs like Samsung and OnePlus to bake the feature into the companies’ Now Bar and Live Alerts, respectively. Notifications will also be grouped together (Google says it’s “force-grouping” them) to help keep the notification panel looking tidy — another tweak that’ll trickle down to non-Pixel phones in the near future.

Another major user-facing change coming to Android 16: a new Samsung DeX-style desktop mode for tablets. Google says it “worked closely with Samsung” to develop its desktop-style app windowing features. You can read more about the new feature, which is set to roll out later this year, here.

Smaller but still meaningful changes include the ability to easily swap audio inputs when using connected hearing aids and the option to enable Google’s Advanced Protection features right from your phone’s settings.

Android 16 is rolling out to Pixel phones starting today

The stable Android 16 update will be available on compatible Pixel phones starting today. The update includes some Material 3 Expressive design changes, with more to come later in the year.

Android 16 will make its way to devices from other Android manufacturers in the coming months — including Samsung phones by way of the upcoming One UI 8.