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Android 16 has formally reached Platform Stability at this time with Beta 3! Which means the API floor is locked, the app-facing behaviors are last, and you’ll push your Android 16-targeted apps to the Play retailer proper now. Learn on for protection of recent safety and accessibility options in Beta 3.
Android delivers enhancements and new options year-round, and your suggestions on the Android beta program performs a key position in serving to Android constantly enhance. The Android 16 developer web site has extra details about the beta, together with the way to get it onto units and the launch timeline. We’re trying ahead to listening to what you suppose, and thanks upfront on your continued help make Android a platform that advantages everybody.
New in Android 16 Beta 3
At this late stage within the improvement cycle, there are only some new issues within the Android 16 Beta 3 launch so that you can think about when growing your apps.
Broadcast audio assist
Pixel 9 units on Android 16 Beta now assist Auracast broadcast audio with suitable LE Audio listening to aids, a part of Android’s work to boost audio accessibility. Constructed on the LE Audio commonplace, Auracast allows suitable listening to aids and earbuds to obtain direct audio streams from public venues like airports, concert events, and school rooms. Our Key phrase put up has extra on this know-how.
Define textual content for max textual content distinction
Customers with low imaginative and prescient typically have lowered distinction sensitivity, making it difficult to tell apart objects from their backgrounds. To assist these customers, Android 16 Beta 3 introduces define textual content, changing excessive distinction textual content, which attracts a bigger contrasting space round textual content to drastically enhance legibility.
Android 16 additionally comprises new AccessibilityManager APIs to permit your apps to test or register a listener to see if this mode is enabled. That is primarily for UI Toolkits like Compose to supply the same visible expertise. If you happen to keep a UI Toolkit library or your app performs customized textual content rendering that bypasses the android.textual content.Structure class then you need to use this to know when define textual content is enabled.
Take a look at your app with Native Community Safety
Android 16 Beta 3 provides the power to check the Native Community Safety (LNP) function which is deliberate for a future Android main launch. It offers customers extra management over which apps can entry units on their native community.
What’s Altering?
Presently, any app with the INTERNET permission can talk with units on the consumer’s native community. LNP will ultimately require apps to request a particular permission to entry the native community.
Beta 3: Decide-In and Take a look at
In Beta 3, LNP is an opt-in function. That is your probability to check your app and determine any components that depend on native community entry. Use this adb command to allow LNP restrictions on your app:
adb shell am compat allow RESTRICT_LOCAL_NETWORK <your_package_name>
After rebooting your system, your app’s native community entry is restricted. Take a look at options that may work together with native units (e.g., system discovery, media casting, connecting to IoT units). Anticipate to see socket errors like EPERM or ECONNABORTED in case your app tries to entry the native community with out the required permission. See the developer information for extra info, together with the way to re-enable native community entry.
This can be a vital change, and we’re dedicated to working with you to make sure a easy transition. By testing and offering suggestions now, you’ll be able to assist us construct a extra personal and safe Android ecosystem.
Get your apps, libraries, instruments, and sport engines prepared!
If you happen to develop an SDK, library, device, or sport engine, it is much more essential to organize any mandatory updates now to stop your downstream app and sport builders from being blocked by compatibility points and permit them to focus on the newest SDK options. Please let your builders know if updates are wanted to totally assist Android 16.
Testing includes putting in your manufacturing app or a take a look at app making use of your library or engine utilizing Google Play or different means onto a tool or emulator working Android 16 Beta 3. Work by way of all of your app’s flows and search for practical or UI points. Overview the conduct adjustments to focus your testing. Every launch of Android comprises platform adjustments that enhance privateness, safety, and general consumer expertise, and these adjustments can have an effect on your apps. Listed below are a number of adjustments to give attention to that apply, even in case you do not but goal Android 16:
- Broadcasts: Ordered broadcasts utilizing priorities solely work throughout the identical course of. Use different IPC in case you want cross-process ordering.
- ART: If you happen to use reflection, JNI, or some other means to entry Android internals, your app would possibly break. That is by no means a finest follow. Take a look at completely.
- 16KB Web page Measurement: In case your app is not 16KB-page-size prepared, you need to use the new compatibility mode flag, however we suggest migrating to 16KB for finest efficiency.
Different adjustments that can be impactful as soon as your app targets Android 16:
Keep in mind to completely train libraries and SDKs that your app is utilizing throughout your compatibility testing. You could have to replace to present SDK variations or attain out to the developer for assist in case you encounter any points.
When you’ve revealed the Android 16-compatible model of your app, you can begin the method to replace your app’s targetSdkVersion. Overview the conduct adjustments that apply when your app targets Android 16 and use the compatibility framework to assist rapidly detect points.
Two Android API releases in 2025
This preview is for the following main launch of Android with a deliberate launch in Q2 of 2025 and we plan to have one other launch with new developer APIs in This autumn. This Q2 main launch would be the solely launch in 2025 that features conduct adjustments that would have an effect on apps. The This autumn minor launch will decide up function updates, optimizations, and bug fixes; like our non-SDK quarterly releases, it is not going to embrace any intentional app-breaking conduct adjustments.
We’ll proceed to have quarterly Android releases. The Q1 and Q3 updates present incremental updates to make sure steady high quality. We’re placing further power into working with our system companions to convey the Q2 launch to as many units as attainable.
There’s no change to the goal API degree necessities and the related dates for apps in Google Play; our plans are for one annual requirement every year, tied to the most important API degree.
Get began with Android 16
You possibly can enroll any supported Pixel system to get this and future Android Beta updates over-the-air. If you happen to don’t have a Pixel system, you’ll be able to use the 64-bit system pictures with the Android Emulator in Android Studio. In case you are at the moment on Android 16 Beta 2 or are already within the Android Beta program, you’ll be provided an over-the-air replace to Beta 3.
Whereas the API and behaviors are last, we’re nonetheless searching for your suggestions so please report points on the suggestions web page. The sooner we get your suggestions, the higher probability we’ll be capable of deal with it on this or a future launch.
For the perfect improvement expertise with Android 16, we suggest that you simply use the newest function drop of Android Studio (Meerkat). When you’re arrange, listed below are a number of the issues you need to do:
- Compile in opposition to the brand new SDK, take a look at in CI environments, and report any points in our tracker on the suggestions web page.
We’ll replace the beta system pictures and SDK frequently all through the Android 16 launch cycle. When you’ve put in a beta construct, you’ll robotically get future updates over-the-air for all later previews and Betas.
For full info on Android 16 please go to the Android 16 developer web site.
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