Posted by Matthew McCullough – VP of Product Administration, Android Developer
At present we’re bringing you Android 16 beta 4, the final scheduled replace in our Android 16 beta program. Ensure your app or sport is prepared. It is also the final likelihood to offer us suggestions earlier than Android 16 is launched.
Android 16 Beta 4
That is our second platform stability launch; the developer APIs and all app-facing behaviors are closing. Apps focusing on Android 16 could be made obtainable in Google Play. Beta 4 contains our newest fixes and optimizations, supplying you with the whole lot that you must full your testing. Head over to our Android 16 abstract web page for an inventory of the options and conduct modifications we have been protecting on this sequence of weblog posts, or learn on for among the high modifications of which you need to be conscious.
Now obtainable on extra gadgets
The Android 16 Beta is now obtainable on handset, pill, and foldable kind elements from companions together with Honor, iQOO, Lenovo, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, vivo, and Xiaomi. With extra Android 16 companions and gadget sorts, many extra customers can run your app on the Android 16 Beta.
Get your apps, libraries, instruments, and sport engines prepared!
For those who develop an SDK, library, software, or sport engine, it is much more vital to organize any needed updates now to stop your downstream app and sport builders from being blocked by compatibility points and permit them to focus on the newest SDK options. Please let your builders know if updates to your SDK are wanted to completely help Android 16.
Testing entails putting in your manufacturing app or a check app making use of your library or engine utilizing Google Play or different means onto a tool or emulator working Android 16 Beta 4. Work by all of your app’s flows and search for useful or UI points. Evaluation the conduct modifications to focus your testing. Every launch of Android incorporates platform modifications that enhance privateness, safety, and general consumer expertise, and these modifications can have an effect on your apps. Listed here are a number of modifications to give attention to that apply, even should you aren’t but focusing on Android 16:
- Broadcasts: Ordered broadcasts utilizing priorities solely work inside the identical course of. Use different IPC should you want cross-process ordering.
- ART: For those who use reflection, JNI, or some other means to entry Android internals, your app may break. That is by no means a greatest apply. Take a look at totally.
- 16KB Web page Measurement: In case your app is not 16KB-page-size prepared, you should use the new compatibility mode flag, however we advocate migrating to 16KB for greatest efficiency.
Different modifications that might be impactful as soon as your app targets Android 16:
Get your app prepared for the long run:
- Native community safety: Contemplate testing your app with the upcoming Native Community Safety function. It’s going to give customers extra management over which apps can entry gadgets on their native community in a future Android main launch.
Keep in mind to totally train libraries and SDKs that your app is utilizing throughout your compatibility testing. You might have to replace to present SDK variations or attain out to the developer for assist should you encounter any points.
When you’ve printed the Android 16-compatible model of your app, you can begin the method to replace your app’s targetSdkVersion. Evaluation the conduct modifications that apply when your app targets Android 16 and use the compatibility framework to assist rapidly detect points.
Two Android API releases in 2025
This Beta is for the subsequent main launch of Android with a deliberate launch in Q2 of 2025 and we plan to have one other launch with new developer APIs in This fall. This Q2 main launch would be the solely launch in 2025 that features conduct modifications that would have an effect on apps. The This fall minor launch will decide up function updates, optimizations, and bug fixes; like our non-SDK quarterly releases, it won’t embrace any intentional app-breaking conduct modifications.
We’ll proceed to have quarterly Android releases. The Q1 and Q3 updates present incremental updates to make sure steady high quality. We’re placing further power into working with our gadget companions to deliver the Q2 launch to as many gadgets as attainable.
There’s no change to the goal API stage necessities and the related dates for apps in Google Play; our plans are for one annual requirement annually, tied to the most important API stage.
Get began with Android 16
You possibly can enroll any supported Pixel gadget to get this and future Android Beta updates over-the-air. For those who don’t have a Pixel gadget, you possibly can use the 64-bit system pictures with the Android Emulator in Android Studio. If you’re presently on Android 16 Beta 3 or are already within the Android Beta program, you may be supplied an over-the-air replace to Beta 4.
Whereas the API and behaviors are closing and we’re very near launch, we might nonetheless such as you to report points on the suggestions web page. The sooner we get your suggestions, the higher likelihood we’ll be capable of tackle it on this or a future launch.
For one of the best improvement expertise with Android 16, we advocate that you just use the newest Canary construct of Android Studio Narwhal. When you’re arrange, listed here are among the issues it is best to do:
- Compile towards the brand new SDK, check in CI environments, and report any points in our tracker on the suggestions web page.
We’ll replace the beta system pictures and SDK frequently all through the Android 16 launch cycle. When you’ve put in a beta construct, you’ll robotically get future updates over-the-air for all later previews and Betas.
For full info on Android 16 please go to the Android 16 developer web site.
