- The Android 16 Beta 4 brings dynamic colors to an AOD style.
- The launcher’s long-press menu gets an Apps List, while the recents get two new options.
- Themed icons no longer appear to be in beta and the battery health option has disappeared for some users.
Google has been testing Android 16 for over five months. The version hasn’t brought tons of visual changes, but like Android 15, it focuses more on the security and user experience front. Android 16 reached platform stability with Beta 3, and now Google’s rolling out Android 16 Beta 4. It’s supposed to be the last update before the final release in May, and here’s everything new in it.
Android 16 Beta 4 is available on Pixel 6 and above devices. It brings a few changes and improvements across the board. Starting with the Always on Display, some always-on clock styles now adapt to the dynamic theming . This is more (and only) apparent on the bubbly AOD clock style. You can now see a slight hint of hues surrounding the edges of numbers.
<img loading=“lazy” src=“https://static.beebom.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bubble-AOD.jpg?w=1024" onerror=“this.onerror=null;this.src=‘https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe7F7TRXHtjiKvHb5vS7DmnxvpHiDyoYyYvm1nHB3Qp2_w3BnM6A2eq4v7FYxCC9bfZt3a9vIMtAYEKUiaDQbHMg-ViyGmRIj39MLp0bGFfgfYw1Dc9q_H-T0wiTm3l0Uq42dETrN9eC8aGJ9_IORZsxST1AcLR7np1koOfcc7tnHa4S8Mwz_xD9d0=s16000';" alt=“Google Pixel Bubble AOD hue
- 2”>
There’s another change in the Wallpaper and style section, where the Themed icons toggle no longer shows the text “Beta”. The Pixel launcher’s long press list now gets an Apps list shortcut to quickly open the app drawer.
Besides, users report the Battery Health feature has been mysteriously removed from the Battery Settings page for some users. It was present in our Pixel 6 unit, though.
The menu that shows up after long pressing the app icons in recent menu now has two extra options — Screenshot and Select . The former is pretty straightforward, while the latter is to select the content in the app.
The Gesture Navigation page now houses a “ Try a demo ” pill that takes users to the same intuitive tutorial that they come across when setting up the device for the first time. Lastly, the Quick Settings Media Player artwork now appears a tad bit darker, on the lock screen, too.
The last few beta updates have added many new Android 16 features , and we’ve compiled a comprehensive list for the same. While many rumored features are behind a server side switch, waiting to see the daylight, we expect Google to roll them all out in QPR Betas that will soon follow.
Abubakar covers Tech at Beebom, with his passion for technology tracing back to 2011 when he received a Dell Inspiron 5100 as a gift. He’s also a passionate advocate for the right-to-repair movement, believing in empowering users to maintain and extend the life of their devices. Outside the tech world, he enjoys watching anime and exploring his newfound enthusiasm for Japanese cars. In his free time, you’ll often find him immersed in Genshin Impact or researching his next gadget purchase. Before joining Beebom, he contributed to leading publications like Android Police, How-To Geek, and Fossbytes.
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- Android 16 Beta 3 enables Screen-off Fingerprint unlock on older Google Pixels.
- The feature was previously believed to be exclusive to Pixel 9 series.
- With this, you can now unlock your Pixel phone quickly without AOD and turning on the display.
The next version of Android has reached its final testing phase with the recent Android 16 Beta 3 update. This beta didn’t bring any major upgrades but added many improvements for existing features. Among them, is the screen-off fingerprint feature, which is now available on older Google Pixel phones.
The Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock option in the Fingerprint Unlock settings menu allows users to unlock their Google Pixel phone with the screen off. This means, unlike previously where users had to tap to wake up the screen and then use the fingerprint to unlock, they can now just press on the fingerprint sensor region to unlock the phone.
To enable this feature on Android 16, go to Settings > Security and privacy > Device unlock > Fingerprint Unlock , and turn on the Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock toggle under “When using Fingerprint Unlock”. To test it out, ensure Always-on Display is off. Turn off your phone’s screen and press any of your registered fingers in the sensor area. If this is active, your Pixel should automatically wake up and unlock.
For those unaware, Pixel 9 ( review ) series was the first to receive this feature with Android 16 DP 2 . We initially thought the feature would be Pixel 9-exclusive because of its ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. However, the feature is now available on Pixel 6 and newer models, which is a pleasant surprise.
Those who have Always-on display feature enabled can now disable it to save battery life. Instead, they can enable the Screen-off Fingerprint unlock feature for faster fingerprint unlock.
Abubakar covers Tech at Beebom, with his passion for technology tracing back to 2011 when he received a Dell Inspiron 5100 as a gift. He’s also a passionate advocate for the right-to-repair movement, believing in empowering users to maintain and extend the life of their devices. Outside the tech world, he enjoys watching anime and exploring his newfound enthusiasm for Japanese cars. In his free time, you’ll often find him immersed in Genshin Impact or researching his next gadget purchase. Before joining Beebom, he contributed to leading publications like Android Police, How-To Geek, and Fossbytes.
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