Android 16 already available for testing, Google is shortening the time

Google offered a first look at what’s new with Android 16, the next version of the mobile operating system. The first developer preview, available today, introduces important updates related to photo management and health data sharing in applications. This preview release allows developers to integrate Android’s photo picker, the menu that lets users choose specific images and videos to share, directly into their apps. This feature aims to make it easier to share media without requiring apps to access your entire device or cloud library.

Another novelty concerns the health sector. The Health Connect app preview includes a preliminary version of the APIs that support medical records, allowing apps to read and write medical data in FHIR format. This could allow apps and medical devices to exchange information and medical records (with the user’s explicit consent), similar to what already happens with wearable devices and fitness trackers, mirroring a similar functionality present in Apple Health on iPhone. Android 16 also includes the latest version of Privacy Sandbox, Google’s solution under development to replace Android’s Advertising ID.

Last month, Google announced an acceleration of its Android release cycle, aiming to reduce wait times for updates on third-party devices. In this regard, Matthew McCullough, head of Android Developer, said: “This is the beginning of a more frequent API release cycle for Android, part of our commitment to drive faster innovation in apps and devices.” The expected timetable for the release of Android 16 includes the arrival of the first public beta in January 2025, and the final public release after April 2025 (probably in conjunction with the Google I/O event).