Android 16 Is Getting a Facelift, and Gemini Is Rolling Onto More Google Platforms

Google I/O is on May 20, but the annual developer conference will be so jam-packed with announcements that Google is opening the valve to release some news early. Today, during a virtual event dubbed The Android Show, the company showed off several features coming to the Android 16, starting with a fresh redesign.

Here’s everything new coming to Google’s mobile operating system. Some of these features will arrive first on Pixel phones later this summer—presumably Google’s Pixel 10 series—but most will be a part of the big annual Android update, which is expected to arrive earlier than usual this year, in June.

Also be sure to read our overviews of the use of on-device artificial intelligence to power Android’s new scam detection features, and Android’s new lockdown mode.

Fresh Face

Android is getting a facelift with a new design language called Material 3 Expressive, and the emphasis this time is on personalization.

The last major redesign was four years ago when Material 3 debuted. That said, Google says this isn’t “Material 4,” and Material 3 Expressive isn’t a new version of the system. Expressive is the “most researched update,” through 46 studies with more than 18,000 participants.

Google claims the expressive language sprinkled throughout the operating system is preferred by people of all ages, scoring high on attributes like playfulness, energy, creativity, and friendliness. Crucially, Google claims that “users are more likely to switch to products that use M3 Expressive components and techniques.” That’s important when recent surveys have shown that 87 percent of teens own iPhones with no plans to switch.

Photograph: Google

Photograph: Google

There are fresh animations that will feel more responsive, like how swiping a notification away from the notification drawer will feel springy with haptic feedback, and the notifications above and below will react to that action. You can expect subtle animation changes when you dismiss an app in the Recents menu, play around with the volume slider, or even when you bring down the quick settings shade—you’ll see a blur effect over your home screen.

Fonts and typography are more emphasized, and Android 16 has more dynamic color themes, giving you more control over the operating system’s look, even in supported apps. Much of it is functional too—Google’s letting you squeeze more settings into the Quick Settings drawer, so you can quickly access tools like the Flashlight or Do Not Disturb mode.

Android 16 also takes a cue from Apple’s Live Activities features, pinning ongoing notifications from apps like DoorDash, Uber, or Google Maps on the lock screen so you don’t have to keep hopping into the app to check. They’ll stay on the screen even when the phone goes into standby mode.