Android 16 Beta 4 is now available for developers - stable and almost ready for release

Google has officially confirmed that Android 16 Beta 4 will be available on Thursday, 17 April. This is the third update in a row that the company has announced the day before the release via the @AndroidDev account on X (Twitter): "Android 16 Beta 4 drops tomorrow ? Be on the lookout!"

Here's What We Know

The Beta 4 update is considered the first release of Android 16 - that is, almost the final version intended for testing by developers. The window for adding new features is almost closed, so the update is likely to focus on stability and system polish.

The previous beta version brought some notable changes for users, such as the battery checker and Live Updates. There were also minor visual updates to the interface.

Google mentions the possibility of another preview in May, but does not officially call it Beta 5. Presumably, this update will be released before the Google I/O 2025 conference, which will be held later than usual this year.

The final release of Android 16 for regular users is expected in June as part of the accelerated launch schedule.

Google has reportedly officially stopped providing security updates for devices running Android 12 and Android 12L. Starting from April 2025, monthly security patches will be available only for Android 13 and later versions of the operating system. Until now, the company included Android 12 in the list of supported versions, but now it has decided to focus on more modern platforms.

Source: @AndroidDev