Google Unveils Android 16 with AI-Powered Features
News Desk
Islamabad: Just a day after Apple unveiled its latest operating systems at WWDC 2025, Google has begun rolling out Android 16 to eligible Pixel smartphones. Part of the June “Pixel Drop” update, Android 16 introduces a range of new features, including AI-powered tools, enhanced usability, and design improvements.
Key Android 16 Features
One of the most notable additions is real-time lock screen notifications—similar to iOS’s Live Activities—offering updates for ride arrivals, deliveries, and ongoing tasks. The new Material 3 Expressive design language brings a more dynamic and customizable interface.
Security receives a major upgrade with an expanded Advanced Protection Program aimed at high-risk users like journalists and public figures, along with new anti-theft and anti-scam measures. In terms of connectivity, Android 16 now supports Bluetooth LE Audio, improving call clarity and enabling users to control external device volume directly from their phones.
Later this year, Android 16 will also bring enhanced multitasking features to tablets, including desktop-style window management and custom keyboard shortcuts.
Updates to Messaging, Photos, and Accessibility
The Google Messages app now supports group chats via RCS, narrowing the gap with iMessage. Users can personalize group chat icons, mute individual threads, and enjoy a richer messaging experience overall.
Google Photos is getting a major AI upgrade, offering intelligent editing suggestions like removing, repositioning, or reimagining parts of an image. These tools are aimed at making powerful edits accessible to everyday users.
Accessibility also gets a boost. The Magnifier app (available on Pixel 5 and up) now verbally describes and highlights objects, offering haptic feedback for better interaction. Captions for videos and live streams are becoming more descriptive, identifying subtle actions like whispering or yawning.
Pixel-Exclusive Features
The June Pixel Drop brings a number of exclusive features to Google’s flagship devices. A new “Pixel VIPs” widget keeps track of communications and updates from favorite contacts across platforms like WhatsApp and phone calls.
Interestingly, the new battery health indicator debuts on the mid-range Pixel 8a, while it remains unavailable on the higher-end Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. In Australia, Pixel users will also benefit from Emergency SOS via satellite, allowing essential messages without a mobile signal.
Other updates include Gboard’s ability to generate custom stickers using text prompts, and the Recorder app’s AI-powered summaries expanding to support French and German.
Enterprise and Productivity Enhancements
For businesses, Android 16 adds support for storing corporate badges in Google Wallet, simplifying office access. Google’s Gemini AI is also being integrated into Docs, where it can summarize content, extract insights, and translate text.
Meanwhile, Chrome for Android is improving PDF support, now allowing users to navigate linked documents—a valuable feature for legal and academic use cases.
The update is gradually rolling out to supported Pixel devices, with global availability expected in the coming days.
Apple vs. Google: AI and Ecosystem Competition
Google’s Android 16 launch closely follows Apple’s WWDC announcements, highlighting the intensifying rivalry between the two tech giants. While Apple emphasized ecosystem integration and privacy, Google is betting big on AI-powered personalization and accessibility—reinforcing its focus on practical, adaptive software design.
