Your older Pixel phone will still get Android 16

Google has previously said that it wanted to shift forward the launch of Android 16, but you might be surprised to hear that it’s already underway, with the release of the first developer preview in November 2024. That early start also gives us an insight into supported phones.

When Google releases its developer previews of new Android versions, it prepares the new software for a number of phone models. In these early days, that’s limited to Google’s own Pixel devices, with limited support for other manufacturers not coming until the software is in beta stages.

The list of supported devices for Android 16, however, is a little more extensive than we would have first guessed. It includes the recent Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 devices of course, but it actually runs back to 2021's Pixel 6 – including the Pixel 6a.

When the Pixel 6 was launched, it was only slated for three Android version updates, but its inclusion on this list suggests that Google might take support further. As you’ll probably know, in more recent times, Google has shifted to a seven-year support promise, and it looks like it might be bridging the gap a little with Android 16.

Of course, we’re in the very early stages of Android 16 and we have no idea how the software will run on those older devices, but if everything goes smoothly, it could be a boon for those who have kept their older Pixel phone.

Google goes on to confirm that the timeline for the release of Android 16 targets Q2 2025, with a reminder to developers that they need to be doing compatibility testing for apps earlier than usual and that might take some planning.

From these early details we can see that there continues to be a focus on privacy, with Google highlighting a photo picker features that allow apps to only access certain images rather than everything. There’s also a focus on health features, with new Health Connect features for handling medical records.

We’re sure that Android 16 will have a lot more exciting features in it, but at this stage, it’s too early to see what those are.

It’s likely that Google will reveal more at Google I/O 2025, expected to take place in May 2025.