Android 16

I’m not usually one to take note of major operating system upgrades on my phone. I’ve had a Pixel 6 for just over three years now, and couldn’t tell you any major features that have changed the way I interact with it. But a couple of nights ago, my phone updated to Android 16. It included a couple of changes that were significant enough for me to seek out the list of new features, something I can’t say I’ve ever done for phone updates. The things that have struck me as noteworthy, both formally and anecdotally, are:

· Performance improvements – The feature update list doesn’t show anything significant related to this, but post-update, my phone feels brand new in terms of responsiveness and display. This could just be due to the operating system getting updated in general, but it hasn’t been this dramatic in previous updates.

· UI improvements – The Android user interface has been mostly static since I got the phone; this is the first update that’s made noticeable changes. Most of this is subtle, mild changes to button placements and menu color tones, but it’s been a noticeable improvement to visibility and cutting down clutter.

· Large screen changes – They’ve rolled out some changes geared primarily towards tablets/Chromebooks/foldable phones, primarily the ability to have multiple apps open in windows and improvements in the taskbar. I’m most interested in changes that improve the usability of foldable phones; the more support those get, the closer I get to buying one.

· Security – There are a couple of new quick-and-dirty security features, an identity check to prevent shoulder surfing in public locations, and a catch-all security feature called Advanced Protection. Both are worth enabling immediately; it’s free real estate.

There are a handful of other changes for more niche use cases, too. Feel free to give them a look over on the Android website.