Android 16 Beta 2 Arriving Soon
The Android 16 Beta 2 is set to launch on February 13th, as announced by Google's @AndroidDev X account. This follows the Beta 1 release in January, which focused primarily on developer-oriented changes.
Key Changes in Beta 1 (Developer Focused)
- Ordered broadcast priority scope changes
- ART internal changes
- 3-button navigation support
- Predictive back migration/opt-out
- Fixed rate work scheduling optimization
- Adaptive layouts
- Health and fitness permissions
- Progress-centric notifications
- Supplemental descriptions
- Required form fields
- Camera night mode scene detection
- Generic ranging APIs
- Advanced Professional Video
- Vertical text
- Phone as microphone input for voice calls with LEA hearing aids
- Ambient volume controls for LEA hearing aids
What to Expect in Beta 2
While Beta 1 was developer-centric, it's anticipated that Beta 2 might bring more user-facing changes. However, Google's official classification of Beta 2 as an "Incremental Beta-quality release" suggests that major feature additions might not be on the horizon. The upcoming Google I/O 2025 in May could potentially reveal more significant Android 16 features. For related updates on Android, check out One UI 7: Combining Quick Settings and Notifications. You might also be interested in One UI 7: Last Major Update for Several Samsung Galaxy Devices and Samsung Battery Optimization Guide.