close
close

Android 16 release window: It’s coming sooner than you think

Android 16 release window: It’s coming sooner than you think

Android 15 is barely out, but there are already plenty of details floating around Android 16. But given Google’s slightly modified launch schedule for Pixel 9 series and Android 15, when will the next release of the main OS debut? Here’s what we know about the Android 16 release window.

When is the stable release of Android 16 expected?

Rich Ongoing Notifications demo in Android 16

Mishal Rahman / Android Authority

with Android 15 fresh out of the oven, Google will need time to prepare Android 16, but not as long as many expected. Based on the previous dates, Android 16 should be released in the 3rd quarter of 2025. However, the company has now confirmed that it will appear earlier than usual.

Simply put, Android 16 should now be released in the second quarter of 2025, rather than the third quarter, as it was during the last three major releases. This means that the Android 16 release date will be between April and June 2025.

Android 15 is barely out, but its successor will appear much earlier than expected.

Notably, we first detected this possibility in October 2024 by spotting a line inside AOSPCompatibility Definition Document, in which the next version of Android is called “25Q2”. This document contains the minimum requirements for Android smartphones have the right to the latest version of the OS.

Interestingly, the last version of Android that was released before August was Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in 2012. Yes, Android used to appear before August, but not in the last 12 years.

Are you excited for the early release of Android 16?

18 votes

Why is Android 16 launching early?

Pixel 9 Pro Fold in hand

Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority

There are several practical reasons why Google is suddenly speeding up the launch of Android 16.

First, it allows the company to better synchronize the launch of the OS with the launch of the smartphone’s own hardware. Thanks to its previous debut, the Pixel 9 came out of Android 14 and received Android 15 just a few months after its release. This made it a less attractive prospect than previous releases. However, there is now a good chance that the Pixel 10 series will receive Android 16.

This allows the company to better synchronize the launch of Android 16 with the launch of the Pixel 10 series.

It’s not just a Google professional. The arrival in the second quarter of 2025 brings the new version of Android closer to OEMs who release their devices early in the year.

Android 16 release schedule

An overview of the Android release timeline in 2025

As outlined in Google’s 2025 development timeline, the company plans to have a more defined quarterly release cycle, with a major release (the Android 16 release window) in the second quarter, followed by feature releases in the first and third quarters. A minor SDK release with APIs and features that will inform the next version of Android will arrive in Q4. This should speed up the OS development cycle while providing the same predictability for OEMs.

When will the developer preview be available?

Android 16 stock photos 6

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Pre-release versions for Android developers usually appear seven to eight months before the stable public release. Given that Android 16 will arrive much earlier than originally expected, it would make sense that the developer preview would also arrive earlier. The first preview of Android 16 for developers may appear as early as November or December 2024.

The first version for developers may appear before the end of the year.

The first developer preview of Android 15 was released in February 2024, the source code will be removed in September, and the stable version of the OS will be released a month later, in October. Android 14 largely followed suit, while Android 13 was released in August, following the first developer preview in February 2022. Notably, both of these AOSP versions arrived in the same month as the commercial versions.

The company usually releases a clear development schedule before releasing any version of the OS. We’re still pretty early in the Android 16 development cycle, so expect that a bit later.

Which phones will get Android 16 first?

Official Google Pixel 9 case in hand

Nick Fernandez / Android Authority

Official Pixel 9 case

Due to the fact that Google separated the release of the Pixel smartphone from the release of the Android version this year, it is no longer certain that its phones will be the first to receive the latest version of Android. While Google announced the availability of Android 15 for the Pixel series, some vivo devices received the update a whole month ago. This was due to AOSP being dropped a month early, allowing companies to build their iterations earlier.

However, given that Android 16 arrives a quarter early, we expect the Pixel 10 to debut with the new OS. This allows more manufacturers to launch or offer the Android 16 update earlier than ever.

However, once the developer preview is released, Google Pixel devices will be among the first to support it. It’s unclear which Android manufacturers will offer beta versions of apps.