Previously there were reports that Android 16 could be launched in the second quarter of 2025. Now, Google has officially confirmed that the upcoming operating system will release in Q2 instead of Q3, so we will see the Android 16 rollout before July next year.
In their official post developers said, “we’ll soon begin the developer preview and beta program for the Q2 major release.” So Pixel smartphone users will soon be able to access the Android 16 DP program in the coming weeks or months.
Next year, Google will release a major version in Q2 and a minor version in Q4, both of which will include new developer APIs. The Q2 major update will be the only release in 2025 to include behavior changes that can affect apps.
The major release will come in Q2, and it will be similar to our today’s SDK (software development kit) releases. This will be the biggest update and will include new features that might change how some apps work.
The Q4 minor release will pick up feature updates, optimizations, and bug fixes since the major release. It will also include new developer APIs, but will not bring any app-impacting behavior changes.
In addition to major and minor Android releases, Google’s Q1 and Q3 releases will provide incremental updates to help ensure continued quality. And, the Q4 update will add features without changing app behavior.
Google wants to help Android developers get new tools and features faster and make apps better for users. And they’re actively working with partners to bring the Q2 release to as many devices as possible.
