If you’re an Android fan, you might be used to the typical rollout for Android developer previews: Google usually drops the first preview in February, so the fact that the company seeded Android 16’s first developer preview in November—three months ahead of schedule—is quite surprising.
It’s a good thing, but not just because interested parties can try out Android 16 already. As it happens, Google previously announced that Android 16 would launch in Q2 2025, as opposed to Q3, which explains why we’re seeing the first preview in November. It’s all part of a push to get Android out sooner to more devices. Traditionally, Google’s own hardware receives the latest Android updates well before other brands, which makes some sense, considering Google also makes Android. A select few manufacturers push Android updates shortly after, but many companies are quite slow to update. Hopefully, this new schedule will help fix that.
Don’t install the Android 16 developer preview
That said, you probably shouldn’t go and install the Android 16 preview yourself. At this time, this preview is intended for developers to test their apps with this upcoming version of Android—not for general users to try out new features. As such, this is the most unstable Android 16 is going to be: Developers will share their experiences with Google, reporting any and all bugs and issues they run into. Google will address the most pressing problems first, and will continue working with developers to make Android 16 a more stable experience.
In January, Android 16 will be in a place where, while not ready for public release, it will be acceptable to preview for users willing to take on the risks that come with beta software. That’s Google’s general Android beta program. Once Android 16 enters into beta, you can install the software on your Pixel or other supported Android device to test out new features and changes. The software will still likely have issues, so don’t expect a smooth experience. That’s why it’s recommended to install betas on secondary devices—or, at the very least, to back up important data on your main device so none of it is lost in the event something goes wrong.
What’s new in Android 16?
As of Wednesday, Nov. 20, however, Android 16 is in developer preview—its first developer preview, at that. This software is so not intended for general users, Google hasn’t even announced any user-facing features for Android 16. So far, Google has just announced three developer changes coming with Android 16: an embedded photo picker, the feature that lets users choose with photos and videos to share with an app; an API that allows apps to read and write users’ medical records in FHIR format, so long as the app gets consent from the user; and the latest version of Privacy Sandbox, Google’s privacy compromise that attempts to preserve user privacy while still supporting free content funded by user data.
Which devices support Android 16?
Right now, developers can manually flash the Android 16 preview onto the following devices:
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Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
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Pixel 6a
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Pixel 7 and 7 Pro
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Pixel 7a
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Pixel Fold
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Pixel Tablet
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Pixel 8 and 8 Pro
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Pixel 8a
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Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold
You can access those images from Google’s developer site here, but, again, these builds are only meant for developers. If you aren’t one, please wait until Android 16 enters public beta testing in January.