What's new in Android 16 preview?

Manufacturers are now responsible for much of the innovation around Android. Google's Android 15 update is one of the smallest to date in terms of the number of user-facing features. One explanation is that Android has matured, and that Google has started to place less emphasis on Android versions and instead introduces new features one after another through "feature drops", Play Services and quarterly updates.

However, manufacturers like Nothing and Oneplus offer big news in Android 15 and Samsung is also expected to deliver a massive update. That said, there are no indications so far that Android 16 Baklava will be a bigger update than Android 15, but it's too early to tell.

The beta versions that will roll out starting in January may offer more news. Here are the additions discovered in the first developer preview.

Audio sharing

Android can let other people nearby listen to the same audio as you via Bluetooth. This means you can listen together with someone else who can listen with their own device. Bluetooth LE unit.

Custom modes instead of “do not disturb”

Android 16 has “modes” instead of the previously discussed Do Not Disturb mode. The new feature is also part of Android 15 QPR2. These modes allow for more customized rules for sound, image, and notifications for specific situations.

Notification cooldowns

Anyone who has played a MOBA is familiar with cooldowns: a cooling period. When activated, the sound will be lowered and the number of notifications will be minimized, if a large number of notifications arrive in rapid succession. The idea is that we should not be bombarded and disturbed if a app or person starts "spamming".

Extra fog is now in the settings

The function with the somewhat odd Swedish name "extradimmat" lowers the brightness beyond the normal minimum level. This can be handy, for example, when reading in bed in completely dark rooms. The brightness is artificially dimmed beyond what the hardware can handle.

In Android 15, “extra dim” is a quick setting that needs to be toggled on and off, and dimming is always on when active. Android 16 instead places extra dim among the regular display settings. The behavior also seems to have changed for the better: the minimum brightness is lowered, rather than the brightness being constantly lowered.