Android 16 Developer Preview Brings Frequent API Updates and Privacy Enhancements

The Android 16 Developer Preview by Google is now available, marking the beginning of more frequent API releases to drive faster innovation in apps and devices. It is the successor of Android 15, which Google released in February 2024.

This major release is planned for Q2 2025, a shift to align with device launch schedules, followed by a minor API release in Q4 2025. Key features include APIs that let apps integrate the photo picker into their interface, early access to health record management in FHIR format and improvements to the Privacy Sandbox for better data security. Developers can use SDK_INT_FULL for granular API checks for both major and minor releases. You can check out the company’s announcement page for more details.

The preview program runs from November 2024 to the official release in 2025, with updates offering tools, system images, and emulators for testing app compatibility. Developers are encouraged to test apps, compile against the new SDK, and provide feedback early. The program supports development but is not intended for daily consumer use, with beta enrollments opening later for broader testing.

Android 16 Developer Preview Key Features

• Embedded Photo Picker
  • Allows direct integration into app interfaces
  • Provides secure media access without broad permissions
  • Supported via Android Jetpack library
• Health Records API
  • Early access support for managing medical records in FHIR format
  • Requires explicit user consent for data access
  • Part of the Health Connect platform
• Privacy Sandbox Enhancements
  • Improved data security and privacy protection
  • Enhanced SDK Runtime for better isolation of third-party SDKs
  • Reduces app access to user data
• Two Android API Releases in 2025
  • A major release in Q2 with behaviour changes and new APIs
  • Minor release in Q4 with feature updates and optimizations
  • Quarterly updates for incremental improvements
• Compatibility Testing and Platform Stability
  • Platform Stability milestone expected by March 2025
  • Final SDK/NDK APIs and system behaviours will be available at that stage
  • Apps must complete compatibility testing before the final release
• New API Level Handling
  • SDK_INT_FULL constant for checking both major and minor releases
  • Build.getMinorSdkVersion() method to retrieve minor version information
  • Backward compatibility ensured for existing SDK_INT usage
• Developer Tools and Testing
  • Updated system images, emulators, and SDK tools provided
  • Regular updates throughout the release cycle
  • You need to download the initial preview builds manually.

Many developers expect many more changes between the preview and beta releases of Android 16. So far, Google has introduced only a few new features and updates for developers. At the time of writing, Android 16 can be tested on supported Google Pixel devices or through the Android emulator. So, we encourage developers to use the latest preview version of Android Studio for app development. You can visit the official developer website for more details.

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