Android 16 became available to the first testers and developers

An early preview version of the new Android 16 mobile operating system – Android 16 Developer Preview 1 – has become available to testers and developers for testing starting today. It expands the capabilities of the photo gallery, as well as the functionality of sharing medical data in applications.

Last month, Google said it was pushing forward the schedule of major releases of new versions of Android operating systems so that device makers and app developers can more quickly adapt new OS features to their solutions. Therefore, the full-scale release of Android 16 will take place in May, and not in the fall, as was the case with all the latest numbered Android updates.

«”This marks the beginning of more frequent releases of new Android APIs as part of our efforts to accelerate innovation in apps and devices,” Android Engineering Lead Matthew McCullough said in a statement to The Verge on today’s release of an early preview of Android 16.

An early preview of the new OS released today allows developers to build Android’s photo picker—a menu that allows users to select the images and videos they want to share—directly into their apps. The feature aims to make file sharing smoother by providing access to the entire device or cloud storage library. It also includes the latest version of Privacy Sandbox to protect your online privacy.

The software also includes a preview version of the Health Connect app, specifically an “early version of an API” that allows third-party apps to “read and store health record data in FHIR format,” Google says. The software will allow health monitoring applications and devices to exchange information and medical data (solely with the user’s consent) in the same way that various wearable devices, such as fitness trackers, already do. In fact, we are talking about an analogue of the Apple Health function on the iPhone.

Estimated schedule for the development of a new OS. Image source: Google

According to Google’s earlier statements, the first public beta of Android 16 will be available as early as January next year. The release of a fully finished new OS is expected sometime after April, possibly in May if it coincides with the annual Google I/O event. This year it took place on May 14th. It is during this event that the company usually talks about the latest updates related to Android, as well as other new products.