While the Google I/O keynote has historically been the moment when Google has talked about new Android updates, this year the company is taking a different route. Whether it’s to give developers more time to develop apps for the new OS, or whether it’s because Google wants the next Pixel to ship with Android 16, the fact remains that Android 16 is coming our way faster than ever before. Here’s what you can expect from The Android Show at Google I/O 2025.
Android Show: When is it Starting?
First things first, the date and time. The I/O keynote is on 20th of May, but the Android Show is happening a week earlier — May 13, at 10 am PDT (that’s 6 pm BST, and 10:30 pm IST).
There will be a live stream of the event on the Android YouTube channel (link) so you can follow along there to see everything new that’s coming to most smartphones out there.
Android 16 Features at the Android Show
Naturally, the “Android Show” as it is called, will focus almost exclusively on Android. That implies that we’ll get to see everything new that’s coming with Android 16. Obviously, we already know a lot about what’s coming with Android 16 thanks to all the betas, but it’s nice to make things official.
Here are the key features you can expect to find with Android 16, once it reaches your smartphone.
1. Material 3 Expressive Redesign
2025 seems to be the year of UI overhauls. After all, my iOS 19 expectations include a UI revamp — so do macOS 16 expectations, by the way. And Google’s UI overhaul is basically confirmed as well.
Not only is there a Material 3 Expressive session topic mentioned on the Google I/O website, but the company accidentally leaked a detailed blog post describing and defining Material 3 as well.
And it’s a big change. Everything from the icons, to the colors, the animations, volume sliders, and everything else is being revamped. Google has put in a lot of thought towards the new UI, and from what I’ve seen so far, it does look very impressive (and fun).
However, the chances that the redesign will be a part of the stable release right away are low. It’s more likely that Google will bring this redesign as part of a later update (or maybe even Android 17)
2. Live Updates
As the name suggests, Live Updates are a new variety of notifications that will let users keep a track of ongoing activities. Think timers, food deliveries, navigation, etc. If this is giving you a wee bit of deja-vu, it’s because this is similar to Live Activities in iOS. Not that that’s a bad thing — it’s a good addition to an operating system that already handles notifications much better than iOS has ever done.
Some of you may be reminded of similar notifications from apps like Uber. However, to bring those notifications to life, Uber (and other developers) had to jump through a lot of hoops and use many workarounds. With the new Live Updates feature, you can expect even more developers to support these notifications.
3. Desktop Windowing
Another new feature that we’re expecting to see with Android 16 is wider support for desktop windowing. With this feature, you will be able to resize, move, and arrange windows however you like — just like a desktop (hence the name).
As per reports, the new feature will push the status bar towards the bottom of the screen to act like a taskbar, complete with app icons, and status symbols for opened and minimized apps. It should make multi-tasking easier, especially on devices with larger screens.
4. New Battery Health Page
Whether you have a 6000mAh battery or 100W fast charging, you’re probably still losing sleep over how many cycles have elapsed on your battery, etc. Fortunately for you, Android 16 will bring a new battery health page to put your mind at ease (or, to make your panic skyrocket if your battery health has been ruined by years of overnight charging).
As you’d expect, this page will show you the maximum capacity of your battery (in percentage), and you will also find options for adaptive charging, as well as some insights on how to maintain your smartphone’s battery health.
5. Settings App Redesign
I have to tell you, the similarities between the expected feature-set for Android 16 and that for macOS is a bit eerie. Case in point — settings app redesign.
Android 16 is bringing a whole new look for the settings app. This includes new Material 3 Expressive design elements including new switches with X or checkmark icon in the handle. There are also reports of new icons for top-level Settings options, and other UI changes to the app itself.
Also expected is a new developer-oriented feature that will allow apps to place their app-specific settings within the Settings app on Android. This is similar to what we’ve seen on iPhones already. I’m a bit torn about the usefulness of such an implementation, primarily because it’s really bad on iPhone, but hopefully Google can do it better.
6. New Emojis
Texters rejoice! There are seven new emojis that are expected to arrive with Android 16, including face with bag under eyes, fingerprint, root vegetable, harp, shovel, splatter, and leafless tree.
7. A Lot More Stuff!
There is, quite simply, a LOT of other features expected to arrive with Android 16. New status bar icons are coming, and so are new icons for screen recording and screen-casting activity indicators.
Obviously there’s also likely going to be a redesign of the notification center, including the Quick Settings page, which is expected to come with a dual shade design. Then there’s Notification Summaries, which is also an expected feature, along with the ability to automatically hide sensitive notifications on the Lock Screen.
Also expected are new lock screen widgets, an option for video settings to adjust video call effects, a new switch-user widget, the ability to get minimal and compact notifications on the lock screen, note-taking from the lock screen (remember the Galaxy Note?), and more.
Android 16 Name
Google has abandoned the tradition of naming its Android releases for years now, so there’s very little chance of seeing anything in the order of a dessert-based name for Android 16.
However, internally, the company still uses such names for Android versions, which is at least enough of a nostalgia trip for me to happily write about it. Android 16 is internally called Baklava, as per a recent leak.
If this has surprised you, you’re not alone. Android 15 was internally called Vanilla Ice Cream, and the natural successor to the “V” in the name would have been a “W” this time around. However, Google seems to be doing with letters what Microsoft has so often done with numbers, and has gone back to B for Android 16.
Baklava isn’t a bad name by any stretch of the imagination. But if the choice was between Waffle and Baklava, I would’ve picked waffle.
Android 16 Release Date
Google usually releases new Android updates in the latter part of the year. This time around, however, the company has announced that Android 16 will arrive in Q2. That points to a May or June release date.
Of course, the stable release could be announced at Google I/O on 20th May. Otherwise, Google should release the update in June. Either way, it’s earlier than usual, and that’s certainly cause for some excitement.
Well, that’s everything I expect from The Android Show: I/O Edition. What do you think Android 16 will be like? Any particular features on your wishlist, or something you want Google to fix? Let us know in the comments.
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