- Google has released Android 16 beta 4, the last beta for Android 16.
- The update adds new AOD styles, the demo for gesture navigation, and more.
- Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Google has started rolling out Android 16 Beta 4, the final beta before the stable version arrives in June. Apart from bug fixes and focusing on stability, Beta 4 adds some new features, putting us on the path to stability. Here’s everything you need to know about Android 16 Beta 4.
Android 16 Beta 4 Brings New AOD Styles And More
The Android 16 Beta 4 is the last beta before Google’s factory churns out stable version of the operating system. There are so many features that we want Google to ship with Android 16. For now, we have a few starting with UI and personalization, Google has enabled dynamic theming to AOD (Always On Display).
This means that the color of the clock on AOD will adapt to the color that you have selected. The numbers especially the edges will have the same colors as the one on the lockscreen.
Another noticeable change is the new options that appear in the recent menu. Apart from the Close option added last month, there are Screenshot and Select. The prior closes the app while the latter are self-explanatory as they let you take a screenshot or select text/image within that app.
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One minor change is that when you play any song/video, the media player artwork is now darker than before.I am not a huge fan of this change as I thnk the previous just looked better.
Now it’s time to talk about the removed features. Yes, Google has removed some features with the latest build and it’s not confirmed if they will be present in the stable version.
The battery health feature has disappeared from the settings, at least on our Pixel 8. Also, when enabling themed icons in personalization, you will no longer see the “Beta” badge next to them.
Coming to gesture navigation, there’s a demo section that lets you get familiar with the gestures. It teaches you how to go home, go back, or switch between apps. It can be handy for those stuck in the past with three-button control or using an Android phone for the first time.
Another minor addition is the new “app list” shortcut that appears when you long press on the home screen.Tapping on it will take you the app drawer. The rest of the changelog includes bug fixes and improvements to the stability. Google is also adding support for Pixel 9a in the Android beta program.
