Live notifications and advanced protection: what else does the Android 16 rollout bring?

The new software update is available for select smartphones.

Google has released Android 16 to supported Pixel devices, starting with the Pixel 6 series. The company revealed that the update will reach more phones “later this year.” The new operating system offers users a number of new features.

With Android 16, Google has introduced live updates that show information about your recent delivery on a user’s screen, saving them from the hassle of having to check the app periodically.

Google shared that it partnered with food delivery and ride-share apps to make the feature available for Android users. The feature also includes “force-group notifications” to reduce information overload.

Android 16 also includes a feature for people with hearing aids. Users with LE audio hearing devices can now switch to their phone microphone to hear better and more clearly in noisy settings instead of using the one built into the hearing device.

With the native control feature, users can control their hearing device through a phone, making it easier to adjust volume.

Android 16 also offers Advanced Protection, a scam detection feature, first introduced in May. The feature was created to protect users from “online attacks, harmful apps, unsafe websites, scam calls, and more.”

Google also worked with Samsung to bring its Samsung DeX feature, which allows users to connect their smartphone or a tablet to a monitor or a TV for a desktop-like experience, to expand this feature.

With Android 16, users will be able to “open, move, and resize multiple app windows in a single screen,” making it easier to work across different applications.

This feature and “custom keyboard shortcuts,” which allow users to create their own keyboard combinations, are expected to roll out later this year.

Google notes that the new OS will include Identity check, adaptive refresh rate, and HDR screenshots. In the future, the company will also release Material 3 Expressive, an extension of the Material Design 3 system, design updates to Android 16, and Wear OS 6 on Pixel devices.