Android 16 release date: The next major OS upgrade is here!

The wait is over. Android 16 is finally stable. While we typically see a new version of Android in the third quarter of the year, 2025 will mark the beginning of a new annual release target. Google has made good on its promise to expedite the launch of the next major OS update by a quarter. So, now that Android 16 release date is here, what do you need to know?

When is the stable Android 16 release date?

The stable release of Android 16 was confirmed by Google on June 10, 2025. This followed quickly after the debut of the two Quarterly Platform Release betas. You can check out the previously released timeline below to see where everything falls.

Notably, we first identified the possibility of an April to June release in October 2024 by spotting a line within AOSP‘s Compatibility Definition Document, which referred to the next version of Android as “25Q2.” This document outlines the minimum requirements for Android smartphones to be eligible for the latest version of the OS.

A comment on the Android Gerrit revealed that Android 16 Beta 3 will roll out on March 12. Of course, it’s a day late but it’s here.

Interestingly, the last version of Android that arrived earlier than August was Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in 2012. So yes, Android has previously arrived before August, but not within the last 12 years.

Milestones

• November 19, 2024 — Developer Preview 1
• December 18, 2024 — Developer Preview 2
• January 23, 2025 — Beta 1
• February 13, 2025 — Beta 2
• March 13, 2025 — Beta 3 (Platform Stability)
• April 17, 2025 — Beta 4
• May 13, 2025 — Beta 4.1
• May 20, 2025 — QRP1 release
• June 10, 2025 — Stable release

Why is Android 16 launching early?

There are several practical reasons for Google accelerating Android 16’s launch.

For one, it allows the company to better sync the OS’s launch with its own smartphone hardware launch. Thanks to its earlier debut, the Pixel 9 launched with Android 14 and only received Android 15 a few months after its release. This made it a less attractive prospect than previous releases. However, there’s now a good chance the Pixel 10 series will land with Android 16.

This isn’t just a pro for Google, either. A June 2025 arrival brings the new version of Android closer to OEMs that launch their devices earlier in the year.

As outlined by Google’s 2025 development timeline above, the company has a more defined quarterly release cycle in the pipeline, with a major release (Android 16 release window) in Q2, bookended by feature releases in Q1 and Q3. A minor SDK release, with APIs and features that’ll inform the following version of Android, arrives in Q4. This should quicken the OS’s development cycle while providing the same predictability for OEMs.

Which phones will receive Android 16 first?

Currently, you can download and install Android 16 on supported Pixel devices. That includes everything from the Pixel 6 series and newer. Older devices are no longer supported, nor are any non-Pixel devices as of May 2025.

We expect the Pixel 10 to debut with the new OS. And, thanks to Android 16’s than normal release, it allows more manufacturers to launch with or offer the update sooner than ever before.