Android’s next big update will ship early in 2025

For the past decennary oregon so, Google has released large Android updates successful the autumn aft an extended developer and beta preview process, but for 2025, that’s changing. Now, Google is readying its large release, which we expect volition beryllium Android 16, for Q2 alternatively of Q3, confirming a caller study from Android Authority.

The announcement says this will “better align with the docket of instrumentality launches crossed our ecosystem, truthful much devices tin get the large merchandise of Android sooner.” Other changes Google is talking astir contiguous see improvements to the Play Store, wherever users tin stock preferences for amended recommendations connected caller apps the mode they already could for games, and successful development, wherever Google is adding much Gemini AI features to “write, refactor, and document” codification successful Android apps.

The caller update docket addresses a occupation with Android’s ecosystem we’ve been discussing since astatine slightest 2016, with third-party phones waiting months oregon longer to get the latest updates. Sure, Google Pixel phones person been archetypal up for the latest releases, but what astir everyone else? A caller docket could marque it easier for much manufacturers to merchandise caller devices with the latest capabilities disposable connected time 1 alternatively of waiting for aboriginal updates to adhd things similar Circle to Search.

In the caller pattern, Google is telling developers that determination volition beryllium a large merchandise successful Q2, on with a insignificant SDK merchandise successful Q4 that’s much similar the existent quarterly releases that adhd caller features without changing the underlying systems arsenic much. It volition mean shifting compatibility investigating forward, but the different payment is that apps could person reasons to enactment caller features — iPhone Live Activities-like ongoing notifications, for illustration — due to the fact that much devices volition beryllium capable to usage them close away.