With the release of Andriod 16 Developer Preview 1 (DP1), Google has outlined the schedule for the upcoming Android 16 Developer Previews and Beta releases. According to the Android developer update, this schedule provides insight into the development and testing process for Android 16, allowing developers to test out new features, APIs, and behavioral changes before the official release.
Developer Preview 1 (November)
This initial release serves as the early baseline build of Android 16, allowing developers to test the operating system’s foundational changes. The goal of DP1 is to gather feedback from developers on any new features, APIs, and changes to behavior that might impact app compatibility. Since it’s an early build, it may be more stable or complete, but it offers insight into what’s coming in future updates.
While the exact features of DP1 can vary, Android 16 introduces new APIs to help developers take advantage of new system capabilities and services. The system may handle certain tasks, like security, background apps, or system resources, differently. Google encourages developers to test apps with DP1 to report bugs, issues, or incompatibilities.
Developer Preview 2 (December)
The second Developer Preview builds on DP1 by refining features and adding additional APIs and system behaviors. DP2 is usually a more stable release than DP1 and includes fixes or improvements based on the feedback from the first preview.
DP2 typically introduces more complete or polished versions of the features first presented in DP1. These can include new developer tools, system optimizations, and enhanced APIs for better app performance. DP2 often expands on new features introduced in DP1 or adds entirely new ones, including enhanced privacy and security features, UI updates, and more granular control over system resources. As features become more stable, the documentation around them will also be improved to assist developers in integrating them into their applications.
The Android 16 Beta phase will kick off in January, with Beta 3 in March marking Platform Stability, which includes final SDK/NDK APIs, internal APIs, and app-facing behaviors. Developers will then have several months to final test before the official release. Beta 4 in April will be the near-final version before the public launch, set to occur about a month before Google I/O. The specifics of how Google will announce consumer-facing features remain unclear.
Key Beta Milestones:
Beta 1 (January): First beta-quality release, available via OTA for early adopters.
Beta 2 (February): Incremental update with improvements.
Beta 3 (March): Platform Stability milestone with final APIs, and Play publishing opens.
Beta 4 (April): Near-final build for final testing.
Final Release: Android 16 officially launches to AOSP and the ecosystem.
