Google has begun rolling out Android 16 to its Pixel smartphone lineup, introducing features such as RCS group chat, AI-powered edit suggestions in Google Photos, and corporate badge support in Google Wallet. The update also enhances accessibility and offers new customization options for messaging and contacts.
Android 16 brings live notifications on the lock screen akin to iOS, along with Google’s updated Material 3 Expressive design language. Security improvements include enhanced theft and scam protection and an updated advanced protection mode tailored for public figures.
The update adds support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) audio devices, improving call quality by allowing their use in place of the phone’s microphone. Users can now adjust device volume directly from their phones with new native controls.
Upcoming features this year will include desktop-style windowing for Android tablets and customizable keyboard shortcuts to streamline app access.
Google Messages is updated to support RCS group chats, enabling custom icons and temporary notification muting. Other additions in Android 16 include HDR screenshots, adaptive refresh rates, and forced notification grouping to minimize clutter.
Google Photos gains AI-driven editing tools that suggest options like erase, move, or “reimagine” for photo segments.
Additional improvements include favoriting devices in the Google Home app and enabling public transit payments via Google Wallet on Wear OS without needing a phone.
Alongside Android 16, Google launched its monthly Pixel Drop feature updates. These updates introduce a “Pixel VIPs” widget to track interactions with favorite contacts across calls, messages, and WhatsApp, as well as display shared birthday and location info.
Pixel phones will also receive more detailed captions for videos and livestreams, noting sounds such as whispering or throat clearing. Users can create custom stickers through text prompts in Gboard, and AI-powered summaries in French and German are now available in the Recorder app. Australian users gain access to Emergency SOS satellite connectivity.
Battery health indicators are added for Pixel 8a and newer (excluding Pixel 8 and 8 Pro), while Pixel 5 and later get an accessibility upgrade via the Magnifier app, which highlights visual matches and provides haptic feedback.
Enterprise users can store corporate badges in Google Wallet and use the Gemini chatbot within Google Docs for summarizing, insight generation, and translation. Chrome on Android now offers improved PDF handling with linked document viewing.
These Pixel Drop updates began rolling out on Tuesday, complementing the Android 16 release.