Android 16 is fast approaching, and Google recently showed off the software, complete with a new Material 3 Expressive design. Between Google’s own announcements and leaks we have a good idea of what features to expect too, but some of these have been more publicized than others.
So below, we’ve detailed five of the most exciting confirmed features that haven’t got all that much attention – which means they might have passed you by.
Note that the features below are mostly focused on security, because that’s what Google has so far focused on with its Android 16 announcements.
Also, while these features will probably mostly land as part of Android 16, it’s possible that some will launch earlier – or that you’ll have to wait for an Android 16.x update for some.
1. It will keep sensitive notifications hidden
One small but potentially very useful security feature that Android 16 will bring is the automatic hiding of sensitive notifications on the lock screen.
In particular it will hide one-time passwords (OTPs), so they can only be seen once the phone is unlocked – making it harder for unauthorized eyes to view them.
However, it won’t always block these. Instead, these notifications will only be hidden in “higher risk scenarios”, such as when your device isn’t connected to Wi-Fi and hasn’t been recently unlocked – suggesting that it might have been lost or stolen.
2. It will fight scammers with in-call security
Scammers are coming up with ever more ingenious ways to trick people. But with Android 16, they might find this a bit harder, as the update will come with in-call security features that prevent users from changing accessibility settings for any app while on a call.
These features will also prevent users from enabling the ‘Install unknown apps’ permission while on a call.
Scammers often convince people to enable these things as a way to gain access to their phone, so by blocking them during calls, there’s one more barrier to this.
3. The Quick Settings panel has been revamped
One feature that’s not related to security is an overhauled Quick Settings panel, which in Android 16 will feature resizable tiles and new animations.
While not shown off by Google, Android Authority has also managed to enable new one-click toggles for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in an Android 16 beta.
So in all, Quick Settings should be more customizable, and key settings should be faster to access.
4. It will better protect you from malicious apps
Malicious apps can compromise your phone, but with Android 16 they should be easier to spot. For one thing, Android 16 will add a new set of on-device rules that will look for text or binary patterns to quickly identify malware families, and will then alert you before you even install an app if it displays these patterns.
Additionally, it will detect and alert you if an app changes its icon, as icon changes are sometimes used by malicious apps to make it harder for users to find and delete them once they’ve been downloaded.
5. It will make it harder to exploit Remote Lock
Finally, Android 16 will give you the option to add a security question to the Remote Lock feature.
Remote Lock lets you remotely lock your phone from another device, which you might want to do if your phone has been lost or stolen. But currently, if someone has access to a browser that’s logged into your Google account, they could lock your phone just with the phone number.
Now, it might be unlikely that someone who had that access would want to maliciously lock your device, but it will be a lot harder for them to do so when a security question is also required.
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