Google has given us a glimpse at what’s coming within the subsequent main model of Android. The primary preview launch for Android 16 is obtainable for builders beginning immediately, which expands the photograph library and medical data-sharing capabilities in apps. A change shifting Android’s launch timeline ahead was introduced final month, which might assist third-party Android telephones launched in 2025 keep away from ready months to obtain the most recent main updates.
Android Developer head Matthew McCullough says, “That is the beginning of Android having extra frequent API releases as a part of our effort to drive sooner innovation in apps and gadgets.”
The preview accessible immediately permits builders to embed Android’s photograph picker — the menu that lets customers choose particular photographs and movies they need to share — immediately into their apps. This could make sharing media with apps extra seamless with out granting them entry to your complete system or cloud storage library. It additionally consists of the most recent model of Privateness Sandbox, Google’s in-development alternative for Android’s promoting ID.
A preview of the Well being Join app “comprises an early model of APIs supporting well being information” that “permits apps to learn and write medical information in FHIR format,” in response to Google. This might let apps and medical gadgets share data and medical information (with specific consent from the person) the way in which wearables and health trackers already do, mirroring an identical Apple Well being function on iPhones.
Judging by Google’s projected launch timeline, the primary public beta for Android 16 might be accessible in January 2025. A remaining public launch is predicted someday after April, seemingly lining up with Google’s annual I/O occasion (which was held on Might 14th this yr), the place the corporate often publicizes its newest Android updates and product options.
