Google announced a sweeping round of Android upgrades on Tuesday, Dec. 2, timed with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The update bundle includes a second release of Android 16 for eligible Pixel devices, new AI-powered tools, expanded accessibility features and a handful of quality-of-life improvements arriving across the Android ecosystem.
The release also marks a shift for the platform. Google is moving away from a single yearly OS update and toward more frequent drops throughout the year. That means Pixel owners will see major features, like Gemini-powered tools, land sooner instead of waiting for the next major update.
Here's everything coming to Android.
All the new Android 16 features
AI-powered notification summaries
Long messages and chaotic group chats now get condensed into glanceable summaries using on-device AI. Each summary gives the context you need without forcing you to scroll through a bunch of text.
Notification organizer
To help you stay focused, Android will automatically sort similar notifications and silence the lower-priority ones, like promotions, news and social alerts.
More personal customization
Google is leaning further into device personalization:
- Custom icon shapes let you style your home screen.
- Themed icons now automatically apply across apps for a more cohesive look.
- Expanded dark theme darkens most apps, even those without native dark mode, to reduce glare and eye strain.
Parental controls, simplified
Android 16 introduces a built-in Parental Controls section directly in settings. Protected by a PIN, parents can:
- Set daily device screen-time limits
- Create downtime schedules
- Restrict usage of specific apps
- Block apps entirely
- Add bonus time when needed
It also links directly to Family Link for more advanced controls, such as School Time and purchase approvals. Parental Controls in settings is currently only available on Pixel phones and tablets running Android 16 and later.
Connected Displays (beta)
You can now connect your Pixel phone to an external monitor to extend your workspace, present content or mirror your display, similar to desktop-style modes on other Android devices. The feature is currently in beta.
New Android features for all devices
Expressive Captions with emotion tags
Google's real-time captioning now includes emotional context. AI can tag speech with indicators when someone is expressing joy or sadness, as well as ambient sounds like cheers and applause, gasps, signs and more. It works across social media stories, livestreams and video messages and is expanding to YouTube for English videos uploaded after mid-October.
Emoji Kitchen expands again
Just in time for the holidays, new mash-ups include saying goodbye for the year (⛄️ + ✒️) and sending holiday well-wishes (🫂 + ⛄️), letting you express oddly specific moods with stickers.
Call Reason (beta)
Soon in the Phone by Google app, you can mark an outgoing call to a contact as "urgent." That label appears on their incoming call screen and stays in their missed-call history, so they know to get back to you more quickly than with a nonurgent call.
Safer group chat invites
If an unknown number adds you to a group chat, Android now shows key details and safety tips. You can leave, block or report the chat with one tap.
Circle to Search scam detection
Now you can circle suspicious messages anywhere on your screen and get an AI Overview summarizing whether it's likely a scam, plus recommended next steps.
Pinned tabs in Chrome
Like on desktop Chrome, you can now pin important tabs on Android so they stay fixed at the top of your browser.
Accessibility features timed for International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Google's accessibility update is its most robust in months, spanning vision, hearing and mobility.
Expanded dark theme for better visibility
Android can now automatically darken apps, even those without built-in dark mode, reducing brightness transitions and helping people who are sensitive to light or have low vision.
AutoClick improvements
For people who use an external mouse, AutoClick adds adjustable dwell timing, customizable actions (left-click, right-click, drag, scroll, etc.) and reduced strain for users who struggle with physical clicking.
TalkBack voice dictation upgrades
A two-finger double-tap on Gboard starts dictation. On Pixel, Gemini-powered Smart Dictation lets you edit text naturally. You can say something like "Replace Monday with Tuesday" or "Make it shorter."
Guided Frame with Gemini
Guided Frame, Google's tool that helps blind and low-vision users take centered photos, now uses Gemini models to deliver richer scene descriptions.
"One girl with a yellow T-shirt sits on the sofa and looks at the dog."
Voice Access improvements
You can now launch Voice Access hands-free. You can say, "Hey Google, start Voice Access." It's also better at detecting punctuation, more accurate across accents, can toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and is now available in Japanese.
Fast Pair for hearing aids
Bluetooth LE Audio–enabled hearing aids can now pair with one tap via Fast Pair. This feature is available on Demant devices today, with Starkey support coming in early 2026.
Pixel owners receive the first wave today, with more features rolling out across Android devices in the coming months.
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