Google I/O is on Might 20, however the annual developer convention might be so jam-packed with bulletins that Google is opening the valve to launch some information early. Right this moment, throughout a digital occasion dubbed The Android Present, the corporate confirmed off a number of options coming to the Android 16, beginning with a recent redesign.
Here is all the pieces new coming to Google’s cellular working system. A few of these options will arrive first on Pixel telephones later this summer time—presumably Google’s Pixel 10 collection—however most might be part of the massive annual Android replace, which is predicted to reach sooner than ordinary this yr, in June.
Additionally make sure to learn our overviews of the usage of on-device synthetic intelligence to energy Android’s new rip-off detection options, and Android’s new lockdown mode.
Contemporary Face
{Photograph}: Google
Android is getting a facelift with a brand new design language referred to as Materials 3 Expressive, and the emphasis this time is on personalization.
The final main redesign was 4 years in the past when Materials 3 debuted. That mentioned, Google says this is not “Material 4,” and Material 3 Expressive isn’t a new version of the system. Expressive is the “most researched update,” through 46 studies with more than 18,000 participants.
Google claims the expressive language sprinkled throughout the operating system is preferred by people of all ages, scoring high on attributes like playfulness, energy, creativity, and friendliness. Crucially, Google claims that “users are more likely to switch to products that use M3 Expressive components and techniques.” That is essential when latest surveys have proven that 87 p.c of teenagers personal iPhones with no plans to change.
{Photograph}: Google
{Photograph}: Google
There are recent animations that can really feel extra responsive, like how swiping a notification away from the notification drawer will really feel springy with haptic suggestions, and the notifications above and beneath will react to that motion. You may anticipate delicate animation adjustments whenever you dismiss an app within the Recents menu, mess around with the amount slider, and even whenever you deliver down the short settings shade—you will see a blur impact over your property display screen.
Fonts and typography are extra emphasised, and Android 16 has extra dynamic colour themes, providing you with extra management over the working system’s look, even in supported apps. A lot of it’s practical too—Google’s letting you squeeze extra settings into the Fast Settings drawer, so you may shortly entry instruments just like the Flashlight or Do Not Disturb mode.
Android 16 additionally takes a cue from Apple’s Stay Actions options, pinning ongoing notifications from apps like DoorDash, Uber, or Google Maps on the lock display screen so you do not have to maintain hopping into the app to examine. They will keep on the display screen even when the cellphone goes into standby mode.
