Android 16 Arrives with Live Notifications and Enhanced Imaging Features

Google has officially unveiled Android 16, the latest version of its mobile operating system, featuring several new capabilities including live notifications and enhanced camera tools. The company has confirmed that devices with the new OS pre-installed will begin hitting the market in the coming months.

One of the most significant features of Android 16 is the introduction of live notifications. With this, real-time updates from services like ride-sharing, food delivery, and other live-tracking apps will be displayed directly in the notification panel—eliminating the need to repeatedly open the apps. All notifications from the same app will now appear grouped together for a more organized experience.

The new version also introduces support for LE Audio hearing aids, allowing users to switch to their phone’s microphone for clearer hearing in noisy environments. In a move toward simplifying user security, Google has consolidated all security-related features into a single interface, enabling users to guard against malicious apps, scam calls, and deceptive websites with a single tap.

For photography enthusiasts, Android 16 brings improved night mode detection, hybrid auto-exposure, and precise color temperature controls. Ultra HDR images can now be saved in the HEIC format, and professional videographers will benefit from added support for advanced professional video codecs.

Additionally, Google is introducing a desktop window system, which remains in beta for now but is expected to roll out widely by the end of the year.

Several other updates have also been introduced across the Android ecosystem. RCS group chats now support custom icons and thread muting, Google Photos offers AI-driven editing suggestions, a new batch of Emoji Kitchen stickers has been released, and Wear OS smartwatches now allow users to pay for transit fares without opening an app.