After Apple’s announcement of operating system updates at WWDC 2025, Google launched its own major software upgrades for phones. The new release of Android 16 for Google’s Pixel smartphone lineup includes features such as group chat in RCS, AI-powered edit suggestions in Google Photos, and support for corporate badges in Google Wallet. The update also focuses on enhancing accessibility support and customization for messaging and contacts.
Android 16 Improvements
Android 16 now includes live notifications on the lock screen similar to iOS for real-time updates, along with Google’s new Material 3 Expressive design language. It also introduces features to prevent theft and scams, as well as an advanced protection mode for security and privacy of public figures. Additionally, support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) audio devices has been added for improved call quality, and new native controls allow for volume control on the device from the phone.
Pixel June Features
Alongside Android 16, Google is rolling out monthly Pixel feature upgrades. The new “Pixel VIPs” widget displays interactions with favorite contacts, including call and message history, updates, and interactions from WhatsApp. Pixel phones now offer detailed captions for video content, custom stickers creation in Gboard, AI-powered summaries in French and German in the Recorder app, and Emergency SOS satellite connectivity for users in Australia. Other features include a battery health indicator for select Pixel devices and a new accessibility feature through the Magnifier app for Pixel 5 and later devices.
Enterprise Android users are also receiving updates, such as the ability to store their corporate badges in Google Wallet. Additionally, they can utilize Google’s Gemini chatbot app within the Google Docs app on Android for content summarization, insights, and text translation. Google is also improving Chrome on Android’s PDF handling with linked document viewing.
June’s Pixel Drop updates will begin rolling out on Tuesday.
The article has been updated to reflect that RCS Group chat and Google Photos features are expanding to a broader Android ecosystem.
