When Android 16 arrived on Pixel phones in early summer, reactions were lukewarm. The first stable build felt like a minor upgrade to Android 15, with a limited number of visible novelties and without most of the features that were announced. Users received only small improvements such as less invasive notifications, faster access to Google Wallet and grouped notifications, which left the impression that it was a mild and not overly ambitious update.
The real turning point came only with the first quarterly update, known as QPR1. Then Android 16 received a thoroughly refreshed interface through the arrival of Material 3 Expressive design, which covered almost every part of the system: from widgets and Settings to quick shortcuts.
Why Android 16 is considered one of the best releases today
Live Updates were introduced, which allow displaying the progress of applications such as Google Maps or Uber directly on the lock screen and always-on screen, as well as the 90:10 split screen mode, which made multitasking on phones much more convenient.
The second quarterly update further expanded the functionality of the system. Android 16 got widgets on the lock screen, forced themed icon coloring, the return of different icon shapes, expanded dark mode and notification categories, along with minor performance improvements. In parallel, Pixel Drop brought a low-power mode for the always-on display, especially useful for navigation.
Thanks to the gradual development, Android 16 went from being an uninteresting update to becoming the most dynamic Android release in the last few years. Compared to Android 13, 14, and 15, this is the first version to bring more usable features and a consistently rounded design. Unlike the earlier Material You concept, which seemed unfinished for years, Material 3 Expressive was implemented at the level of a complete system from the beginning.
Development does not stop there. Android 16 QPR3 is already in the beta stage and announces additional improvements such as precise flashlight volume control, new emoji symbols and customizable navigation keys. All this confirms that Android 16 is one of the most extensive and mature updates that Google has delivered in recent history, writes Android Authority.