For the third release in a row, Google has teased that the next Android 16 preview update is officially coming Thursday, April 17 with Beta 4.
This one-day teaser started two months ago and continues today from the @AndroidDev X account: “Android 16 Beta 4 drops tomorrow :eyes: Be on the lookout!”
As we’ve seen, these teasers — which are for developers — are not indicative of major changes. User-facing highlights last month include Battery health and a Live Updates easter egg. There are a few other visual changes, if not regressions:
Android 16 Beta 4 is the first near-final build and release candidate for developer testing. The window for major additions is closing. Google lists the possibility of a May preview release, but does not call it Beta 5. That would presumably launch before I/O 2025, given that the conference is later than usual this year.
The consumer launch is expected in June as part of an accelerated release schedule.
