6 rumored Android 16 features I can't wait to try

With every Android upgrade, there are certain new features to get excited about. Of course, not every upgrade is created equal, so some releases have more new features than others. With the upcoming release of Android 16, there are quite a few cool (rumored) features that have me giddy for the release.

Notice that I said “rumored.” That’s because with every release there are rumors spread around the internet as to what people “think” will be included with the latest, greatest update from Google. Because of that, take this list with a grain of salt, as you never know what will make the final cut.

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Even so, I’ve tested the beta of Android 16 and combed the internet (using reliable sites such as Android Authority, Android Police, Engadget, Android Developers, Business Today, Android Headlines, GSMArena, Android Update Tracker, and various forums) for all the best possible features that could be coming out this summer with Android 16, and here they are.

1. App drawer blur

This isn’t something that’s going to make your phone perform better or make you more efficient with the device. However, one thing that’s always bugged me is how boring the Android app drawer is. You pull it down and it either has a white background or a black background. Sure, there are some home-screen launchers that allow you to customize the look of the app drawer, but the default home-screen launcher doesn’t include such an option. It has been rumored that Android 16 will change all of that and add a nice background blur to the app drawer.

It’s about time.

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I understand that not everyone feels aesthetics are as important as other issues — such as performance and reliability — but one of the reasons why the iPhone is so popular, other than the simple fact that it’s popular, is the aesthetic of the UI. If Google follows through and adds a nice app drawer blur, it’ll place the Android UI on a more level playing field with iOS.

2. Hybrid Auto Exposure in the camera

If you’re a photo buff, this feature will tickle your fancy. With the hybrid auto-exposure, you’ll get more flexible control over the camera’s exposure settings. Instead of just full manual or auto exposure, you’ll be able to manually set either ISO or exposure time (shutter speed), or let the auto-exposure algorithm take care of things. 

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With this, you’ll be able to fine-tune ISO to reduce noise or set a specific shutter speed to get really creative with your shots — while still getting the convenience and reliability of auto-exposure for everything else. You’ll also find, within the Android 16 Camera app, precise color-temperature and tint adjustments, and improved support for high-quality image formats like HEIC and Ultra HDR.

3. Live updates

Android 16 is rumored to also be bringing a new class of real-time notifications that are designed to keep you informed about ongoing activities, such as navigation, ridesharing updates, food delivery, etc. These live updates will appear as dynamic “chips” in the status bar that display real-time information — such as the ETA of deliveries or rideshare arrivals. 

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When you tap one of the live-update chips, a full notification pop-up appears below the status bar to keep you informed. Within the Notification Shade, live updates appear above all other notifications (with the exception of the media player).

4. APV Codec support

There are also rumors regarding APV codec support finding its way into Android 16. The new native support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec adds a professional-grade video format (developed by Samsung) for high-quality video recording, editing and post-production. 

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The cool features of APV include lossless video quality (close to raw footage), high bit-rate support (2K, 4K and 8K resolutions), intra-frame-only coding (for easier editing workflows and reduced processing demands) and frame tiling (to deliver immersive content and parallel encoding/decoding for efficient processing).

5. Auracast Broadcast audio support

Hopefully, this rumor is true because the addition of Auracast broadcast audio would be great. If you don’t know, Auracast broadcast audio is a Bluetooth LE Audio feature that allows devices like hearing aids and earbuds to receive direct audio streams from public venues, TVs or announcement systems. 

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Anyone who depends on hearing aids or earbuds often finds themselves in problematic situations — such as crowded or noisy environments where announcements are crucial (for example, airports, train stations or concerts) — using LE Audio hearing aids. With Auracast Broadcast support, you can pair your hearing aids or earbuds and then tune into the Auracast broadcast to hear everything with vastly improved clarity.

6. Desktop Windowing

This is one of those rumored features that I’ll believe when I see it. Desktop Windowing will bring a desktop mode to Android phones, similar to that of Samsung DeX, which allows users to connect an Android phone to an external display (via USB-C) and use a desktop-like interface that includes a bottom taskbar, top status bar, resizable, movable, snappable app windows, drag-and-drop support between apps, minimized windows and physical keyboard and mouse support.

Again, I will believe this one when I see it because Google has been promising such a feature for a long, long time. It would be supremely cool if they’d finally deliver on this feature because it would make Android one of the most versatile OSes on the market.

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Remember, these are all rumors, but I do believe the majority of the above features will make their way to the final release of Android 16, which is also rumored to be slated for a June 2025 release.

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