Google to release Android 16 early in 2025, minor update planned for Q4

With Google planning to release a new Android version in Q2 2025, it is likely that the company will maintain August as the month for launching new Pixel smartphones

Google has traditionally maintained a one-year update cycle for its Android operating system for smartphones; however, the company is planning more frequent releases. In an update to the Android Developers Blog, Google announced plans for two releases in 2025: a major release in the second quarter and a minor update in Q4, suggesting that Android 16 could be released early next year.

 

According to the update, the Q2 major release will be the only release in 2025 that includes “behaviour changes” that may affect apps. This indicates that Google is planning an early release for Android 16, likely in April, May, or June of 2025. For comparison, Google released the source code for Android 15 on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) in September this year, with an official rollout on Pixel smartphones in October.

The company stated that the change in the schedule for the major release aims to “better align with the schedule of device launches across our ecosystem, so more devices can receive the major release of Android sooner.”

 

This also suggests that Google plans to launch its next Pixel series smartphones early, similar to this year. Traditionally, Google’s new Pixel series smartphones are the first to receive the new Android version. However, this year, with the Pixel 9 series releasing early in August, Google had to delay the rollout schedule. With the new Android version set to launch in Q2 2025, it is likely that Google will continue to release new Pixel smartphones in August.

Google also mentioned that it will soon provide more information on the first developer preview of Android 16.

 

Regarding the Q4 minor release, Google stated that this update will introduce new features, updates, optimisations, and more, but will not include any app-impacting behaviour changes. In addition to the major and minor Android releases, Google confirmed that its quarterly updates for Q1 and Q3 will “provide incremental updates to help ensure continuous quality.”