Android 16 release is just around the corner, and Google’s next operating system is currently in the beta stage. However, as we get closer to the final release, we are expecting some features to arrive with it. While stock Android is often lauded for its clean user interface and snapiness, it still lags in some aspects. That being said, here is a wishlist of the 10 features we wish to see in Android 16.
Table of Contents
1. Lockscreen Widgets and Improved Customization
The Android lockscreen has evolved a lot over the years. From offering just barebones lock functionality to getting a wide range of customization, such as depth effects and colorful clocks. However, one thing that remains a distant dream is lockscreen widgets. While custom skins from some OEMs like One UI do offer them, stock Android is still lacking on this front. Lockscreen widgets should make things noticeably easier and accessible. Whether it’s choosing songs on Spotify or checking the weather forecast for next week, widgets are likely to make things easier. Also, Google should introduce Always-on display options like Samsung and OnePlus. This is one feature that remains on top of our wishlist for Android 16.
For those old enough to remember, Android did have lockscreen widgets until Android 4.4 Kitkat, until Google suddenly decided to remove them. While iOS does have them, you can only add one widget at a time, and there is no option to stack them. Android can and does need to do a lot better. While the arrival of lockscreen widgets is all but confirmed, we can only give our verdict once the feature arrives on Android smartphones instead of tablets.
2. Fully Functional Desktop Mode and Floating Windows
Android desperately needs a desktop mode for full-fledged multitasking. As phones become more powerful, there is no better way to utilize that processing power properly. While Samsung Dex does exist, it’s only available exclusively for Samsung phones. A fully polished desktop mode from Google could do wonders and maybe even outshine Samsung while they are at it. What we need is a proper taskbar like Windows, fully resizable windows, and a more powerful file browser with dual panes. It is one feature that is often found on most people’s wishlists for Android 16.
Also Read:
Also, maybe add floating windows and the ability to create app pairs so I can open my favorite apps in a floating window. This should supercharge productivity and unlock new possibilities for multitasking. Maybe I can finally compare prices across food ordering apps or check where I can book a cab at the cheapest price.
Google can take inspiration by borrowing some elements from Samsung’s Dex, Motorola’s Ready For, and its own Chromebooks.
3. Advanced Battery Controls
iPhone owners are obsessed with their battery health, and why shouldn’t they be? If I am paying money for a flagship phone, then I do need to know details about its battery. Apple, despite having a relatively closed ecosystem, does offer you all the important info at a glance.
This includes battery health, manufacturing date, and stats for the last 10 days as well. While Android 16 is confirmed to introduce the Battery Health feature, it still falls behind Apple’s offering. While Google does let you set charging limits to 80%.
Apple offers more granular control, letting you choose a charging limit from 80 to 100%. Google needs to do one better and maybe borrow some of the features found in ASUS’s ROG Phone. From the ability to turn on power saving mode at a specific time to reducing the charging speed to prolong battery health, there are plenty of things Google can do. With flagship phones receiving 7 years of updates, they are only good if your phone has a good battery health.
4. Better Notification Management
With iOS introducing features like Priority Notifications and better notification management, Google definitely needs to work in this direction. While Apple’s implementation is far from perfect, it’s at least a step in the right direction. Android’s notification pane can be a hot mess, and leaked screenshots indicate that Google could resolve this to some extent by splitting the notification pane and quick settings.
While it could at least help to an extent, it still doesn’t address the fundamental problem. With a constant barrage of app notifications, the important ones get buried in the background even as your phone pings you for the less useful ones. Maybe Google can use AI to automatically put the conversations from social media apps at the top and put apps into the silent category by default. What could be even cooler is if the company could borrow Apple’s notification summary feature and implement it better.
5. Native App Lock And Seamless Updates
Another major security feature that Google needs to add is app lock support. While there are plenty of third-party apps that do the same, the lack of a native app lock is shocking say the least. Even Apple has added this feature, letting users lock apps behind Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode since iOS 17. While some sensitive apps, such as banking ones, do offer this functionality, the option to lock any app is a much-needed one.
Another major pain point is Android updates. Each time updates arrive, we need to impatiently stare at the lock screen as the phone reboots and install the updates. Google needs to borrow the Seamless updates feature from Samsung’s notebook and work on installing these updates in the background.
6. Advanced Routines and App Cloning
Samsung remains unmatched when it comes to automation and routines. Just look at Bixby routines and you might be surprised. You no longer need to rely on apps like Tasker or Macrodroid for basic automation. These apps don’t just have a learning curve, they are too complex for the average user out there. With Android 16, Google can introduce its version of Bixby routines that can integrate with smart home devices.
Another pain point is the app cloning or the lack of this feature. It’s a basic feature that has existed for years, and many people want to run two instances of a single app since they have multiple accounts. For example, I can have two instances of WhatsApp, one work account and one personal account, so I don’t need to carry two phones. With so many OEMs offering the ability to clone apps, Google should wake up from its deep slumber and provide this basic functionality.
7. Improved Lockscreen Shortcuts
Also, Google, for the love of God, please let me customize those shortcuts on the lockscreen. Being stuck with those default ones is just awful. Let me add any shortcuts, including the ones from third-party apps, so I can easily access them. This is not even a feature request, but just a quality of life improvement. Having a shortcut for apps like Google Pay or a WhatsApp chat can be a godsend, saving a lot of time in crucial moments. Even Apple lets you customize those shortcuts, so there’s no reason why Google cannot, and we hope it fulfills this essential feature of my Android 16 wishlist.
8. Native Camera Quality on Third-Party Apps
One of the biggest complaints of Android users that forces them to switch to iOS is the camera quality on third-party apps. While it’s been decades since Android was introduced, integration with third-party apps hasn’t been its strongest suit. By working closely with social media companies like Meta and X, maybe Google can tightly integrate Android’s cameras with these platforms. It can develop a special API that gives access to the camera app of these phones, so there’s still some hope.
Currently, social media apps just take a screenshot of the camera’s viewfinder, which degrades the overall quality instead of natively using the phone’s camera app. Also, most apps on Android just compress the photo quality by default, which degrades the overall photo quality.
9. Stackable Widgets
While widgets on Android are way more flexible than iOS, they still lack one major functionality: Widget Stacks. You cannot stack multiple widgets on top of each other to save up your precious screen estate. While having multiple widgets is always great, I don’t want to take up that precious space. Stackable widgets not only look cleaner but also provide quick access to everything you need. You don’t need to scroll through 10 pages on your homescreen just to find that one widget. This is one feature that Google needs to work on.
Last but not least is the ability to customize Android’s share menu that remains on most people’s wishlist for Android 16. Google introduced a cleaner and better menu with Android 14. Although it frustrated many users, as they could no longer customize the share menu. Currently, the sharing menu only shows you the list of people or apps that you use the most or the ones that it thinks are relevant. Even Apple lets you add favorites and select the apps you wish to share with.
This isn’t exactly intuitive, as I wouldn’t want to share a work document with my family or personal photos with my co-workers. By letting users customize this share sheet, it could make things a lot smoother. Just let us choose which contacts and apps should be in the menu and pin them.
What features do you want to see on Android 16?
