Android 15 is barely official, but there’s already big Android 16 release window news. Here’s when the next OS version could debut.
Android 15 is barely out of the gate, but already there are plenty of details surrounding Android 16. But given Google’s slightly tweaked launch schedule for the Pixel 9 series and Android 15, when will the next next major OS release debut? Here’s what we know about the Android 16 release window.When is the stable version of Android 16 expected?
With Android 15 fresh out of the oven, it’s going to take time for Google to cook up Android 16, but not as long as many expected. Going by previous timelines, Android 16 would’ve arrived in Q3 2025. However, the company has now confirmed that it’s coming earlier than usual.
Put more simply, Android 16 is now set to arrive in Q2 2025, not Q3, as has been the case for the past three major version launches. This would put the Android 16 release date between April and June 2025.
Notably, we first identified this possibility in October 2024 by spotting a line within AOSP‘s Compatibility Definition Document, which referred to the next version of Android as “25Q2.” This document outlines the minimum requirements for Android smartphones to be eligible for the latest version of the OS.
Interestingly, the last version of Android that arrived earlier than August was Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in 2012. So yes, Android has previously arrived before August, but not within the last 12 years.
