Android 16 is expected to launch in 2025, but we already have a clue about some of the new features that it could bring. Check them out!
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Google switched things up with Android 15 when it decided to decouple the platform update from the Pixel 9 series. That decision gave both the software and hardware their own breathing room and independent timelines. With the official stable Android 15 update on the horizon, it’s time to look forward to what Google is cooking up for Android 16. Here’s what we know about Android 16 and the features we expect to see in the upcoming update in 2025.
Main index to primary sections:Android 16: Name
Google used to name Android versions with dessert codenames, but it strayed away from that tradition with the release of Android 10, choosing to stick with only the version number for all future releases. Consequently, Android 16 will be known simply as “Android 16,” with no dessert codename officially used.
However, Google still uses the dessert codename internally. Android 16’s internal codename leaked recently as Baklava. This is interesting because Android 15’s codename was Vanilla Ice Cream, so you’d think Android 16 would be known as something that starts with a “W” (“Waffle” would have been a good one).
So why did Google jump from “V” all the way back to “B?” It’s a bit complicated, but it mainly involves big changes to Android’s backend. If you want to learn more, we explain Android 16’s unexpected Baklava codename in detail.Android 16 expected release timeline
Google has not yet announced Android 16’s release timeline. However, based on the platform’s release history, one would expect it to be released in Q4 2025.
For reference, the first Developer Preview for Android 15 was released in February 2024. The Android 15 Beta 1 was released in April 2024, while the stable Android 15 update is expected to be released in October 2024. Android 15’s source code was released in September 2024.
However, there is evidence to suggest that Google might launch Android 16 much earlier than usual. Code within AOSP suggests we could see something as early as Q2 2025 — namely April, May, or June of that year. Obviously, this could be Google’s intention, but time will tell if it can actually pull that off.
If it does, it would likely mean an early launch again for the Pixel 10 series. The Pixel 9 surprised us all by launching in August 2024, months earlier than its expected October reveal. This adds further support to the idea that Google could launch Android 16 much earlier in 2025.Android 16: Leaked and upcoming features
While Google has not yet shared any details about Android 16, we can start painting a picture of what we will get with the next update, thanks to Google’s QPR updates.
The Android platform follows an annual release schedule, which OEMs and the world at large have access to. Google also follows a second public release schedule for its Pixel devices in the form of QPR updates. QPR refers to Quarterly Platform Release, which is an update track where updates are released once every three months (quarter). So, we generally get an annual Android platform update on Pixels, followed by three QPR releases, and then the next annual Android platform update.
While the features included in the Android platform update are final and available to the world, features released in the QPR updates are available to Pixel devices until the next Android platform update incorporates them.
