Hands-On with Android 16 Beta 3: Features, Fixes, and First Impressions
Google is releasing its third Android 16 beta for Pixel devices enrolled in the Android Beta program. It features new tools to keep prying eyes off local networks, including a feature that allows apps to ask for specific permission to access hardware on the home network.
This release also expands Auracast broadcast support for hearing aids and introduces outline text to help people with vision impairments. It also enhances the experience for foldable phones and tablets.
Security
With Android 16 Beta 3, Google is bringing the OS closer to a stable release. This milestone signals that the software has reached platform stability, and final APIs and behaviors are now available to developers — a key moment worth highlighting in any android 16 beta 3 review.
This latest installment includes a new battery health monitoring screen and tools for keeping your local networks safe. It also replaces high contrast text with outline text for better visibility for people with low vision. Other additions include a redesigned lockscreen and At a Glance widgets that display more accurate information.
A preview of a feature called Local Network Protection (LPN) will be fully rolled out in a future update, giving users more control over how apps access devices on their home or work networks. The third beta also addresses various issues affecting system stability, performance and Bluetooth pairing. The APV codec, which supports near-lossless video quality, is also now available to developers. This makes it easier to create immersive experiences on the phone's screen.
Performance
The third Android 16 beta brings a few new features to Pixels and devices enrolled in the beta program. The new battery health feature provides details on the state of your phone's power, while Bluetooth pairing now supports LE Audio-compatible hearing aids on Pixel 9 series phones. Google also continues to refine media and camera capabilities, adding hybrid auto-exposure to eliminate the need to choose between manual or automatic shooting modes.
This update also adds progress-centric notifications, a standardized way for developers to show animated, real-time updates like rideshare pickups or food delivery ETAs. In addition, the latest beta adds a low-level support for vertical text rendering and measurement units to help app libraries make it easier to support languages that use vertical writing systems.
Lastly, this beta marks the platform stability milestone, so apps that target Android 16 should be able to hit the Play Store right now. More changes are on the way when the final version of the OS lands in June.
Apps
The third Android 16 beta brings a few new features to Pixel phones that are enrolled in the beta program. This release marks Platform Stability, meaning that the OS’s app-facing behaviors are finalized and that we’re getting close to the stable release date in June.
Among the new user-facing features, Google is adding a Battery Health page to help Pixel users see the real capacity of their batteries. The beta also adds a text outline feature for users with low vision, which draws a larger contrasting area around text to increase legibility. There is also incipient support for Local Network Protection, which will give Pixel users more control over which apps can access devices on their home networks.
At the developer level, this update enhances true variable refresh rate support, and Google is bringing a new Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec that can handle near-lossless video quality at high bitrates. This will improve editing workflows for video creators and professionals.
Privacy
The third Android 16 beta introduces a few new features. This update lands under Platform Stability, meaning the API surface and app-facing behaviors are now finalized, bringing us closer to the final release that will roll out in a few months.
This beta introduces outline text, a new accessibility feature that helps users with low vision read on-screen text by drawing a larger contrasting area to improve legibility. It's a great improvement for anyone who has trouble reading text on small displays.
Google also expanded side-key customization in this beta, allowing users to set it to launch Google Wallet, enabling them to quickly access the digital version of the company's payment service. It's an excellent addition that can help users avoid unnecessary apps draining their battery.
The latest beta also adds improved support for foldables and tablets with automatic app window resizing that eliminates annoying letterboxing. Finally, the beta introduces incipient support for Local Network Protection (LNP), which is planned for a future major release to give you more control over which apps can use devices on your home network.
