According to Android AuthorityThe Android 16 beta for Pixel devices is expected to start in January 2025, with key dates regarding its release schedule. Notably, Android 16 is expected to roll out in Q2 2025, ahead of the usual Q3 schedule, following Google’s decision to bring forward the first developer preview from February to November.
Android 16 beta for Pixel devices will launch in January 2025
Recent comments from a Google employee on the Android Gerrit platform revealed several crucial steps for the upcoming beta releases. The employee discussed the timeline for an upcoming “bug fix”/”feature” and described the planned testing procedure. They mentioned that changes for Android 16 Beta 2 are expected by January 22, and changes for Beta 3 are expected by February 19. The scheduled release for Beta 3 is March 12.
This Pixel update is so important for 3 reasons
“Ideally, yes, it should be a standard functionality indicator and adhere to the same soak time. However, we may want to enable this flag as soon as possible in a beta release to get early commits. Beta 2 is going to be a challenge since the changes are due January 22, which won’t give us enough time to do QA unless we squeeze it into this week. Beta 3 changes are expected by February 19, but Beta 3 won’t be released until March 12, almost the same time as the bug fix deadline. If these changes are fully ready/committed on our side and can be merged today, we can try to include them in Beta 2 (and in this case we should keep them under a bugfix flag). If we need more time, then Beta 3 is the only option and I would recommend moving to a standard indicator,” the post reads.
The first three beta versions of Android 16 should follow the monthly schedule established by Google, presented in November:
- Beta 1: Initial beta release, distributed as an over-the-air update to early adopters.
- Beta 2: an incremental beta quality release.
- Beta 3: The first platform stability milestone, which will include final APIs and behaviors. This will also open the Play post.
Although the January 22 deadline is for internal changes, it does not guarantee that Android 16 Beta 1 will be rolled out by that date. However, given the pace of the month, historical trends suggest a release could be imminent. The explicit date of March 12 for Beta 3 provides a goal for the later phase of the beta program.
Additionally, after achieving platform stability with Beta 3, Google may release more beta versions for final testing in April and May before delivering the stable version for AOSP and Pixel devices in Q2 2025 Developers and users can anticipate several important changes and new features with Android. 16, which should be evaluated in future beta iterations.
The January release will be available for Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro and later. Based on previously released developer previews, upcoming releases are set to introduce improvements to volume control, UI, accessibility features, battery life, and jack in charge of medical records.
Expectations are set for early January for the first beta of Android 16 to release, with subsequent releases planned for February and March.
Featured image credit: Kerem Gülen/Ideogram
