The Android ecosystem is entering
a new phase , and Google is beginning a transition towards a more frequent update mode, inaugurated with
this second wave of new features for
Android 16 .
One way to bring its system closer to
a more agile model and to meet the expectations of users now accustomed to a faster pace…
At the heart of this evolution is
the management of notifications . Android 16 adds AI-generated summaries capable of condensing entire conversations, whether it’s a long message or a very active group.
The goal is to allow users to
see a message at a glance , without missing the essential information. The new ”
Notification organizer ” complements this approach by grouping and silencing alerts deemed less important, whether they are promotions or social media notifications.
This update also introduces a ” Parental Controls ” section integrated directly into Android settings.
Parents can now set screen time limits , control app usage , or establish break periods .
Features for added security…
Alongside Android 16, Google is rolling out new features accessible to the entire Android ecosystem . ” Circle to Search ,” for example, is enhanced with the ability to analyze suspicious messages, where a simple gesture and an AI-generated overview indicate whether the content resembles a scam .
Exchanges in Google Messages also gain in protection, because when an unknown number invites a user to a group, an alert appears, accompanied by options to leave, block or report the conversation with a single gesture.
Also new is ” Call Reason ,” a feature currently in beta that allows you to indicate the urgency of a call to one of your contacts. In this case, a notification appears immediately on the recipient’s screen and remains in their call history if they miss the call.
A more accessible operating system?
Google is also improving accessibility. ” Expressive Captions ,” which can indicate the emotion behind a sentence via tags like [joyful] or [sad] , are coming to Android and YouTube.
The ” Guided Frame ” feature, used in the Pixel camera, also becomes more descriptive, with a more precise view of what is in the frame.
In another area, Google is also rolling out ” Fast Pair ” for hearing aids , as well as voice activation of ” Voice Access ” without needing to touch your mobile phone.