Your Pixel phone just got the biggest update of the year – Android 16 rolling out now

Google has started to roll out the latest version of Android to Pixel phones, with handsets from other manufacturers set to get it in the coming months.

Android 16 was fully unveiled during a pre-Google I/O show around a month ago and now the public build is available to install. It introduces a whole stack of new features, as well as the groundwork Google's new Material 3 Expressive design.

If you have a Pixel phone from the Pixel 6 up to the most recent Pixel 9a, you should find the update available in your system settings. It's also available now for the original Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet.

You might have to wait for some previously announced features though, such as desktop windowing on Android tablets, which will be coming later in the year. Connected displays support is also limited to a developer preview at present.

What can my Pixel phone do now?

While the full Material 3 Expressive design overhaul is arriving gradually, Android 16 sets up your phone for the changes to come.

Some of the new additions available now include streamlined and up-to-date notifications. You'll get real-time updates from delivery firms, taxi services and restaurants on your phone's screen without having to open a dedicated app.

There's also a new feature for users with hearing aids. Instead of having to rely on front-facing microphones in the LE hearing device, you can opt to use the phone's microphone instead in order to make clearer phone calls in noisy locations.

And advanced protection is now available on your phone, which can make your phone more secure with a single tap. You can customise which security features to enable, and this can ensure your data doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

Other features either rolling out now or coming soon include the ability to set custom icons for RCS group chats in Google Messages, AI suggestions when editing images in Google Photos, and live search inside the Magnifier app.

It is thought that Samsung phones will be among the next to receive Android 16 – as part of the One UI 8 roll out. That's likely to be later this summer.