For the past decade, Google has released major Android updates in the fall following an extended developer and beta preview process, but at least for 2025 that's about to change. Now Google is planning its next big release for the second quarter instead of the third quarter, confirming a recent report from Android Authority about Android 16, which will have the dessert codename “Baklava.”
Sure, Google Pixel phones have been at the forefront of the latest releases, but what about everyone else? A new schedule could make it easier for more manufacturers to release new devices with the latest features available from day one, rather than waiting for future updates to add things like Circle to Search.
In the new pattern, Google tells developers that there will be a major release in the second quarter and a smaller SDK release in the fourth quarter, more similar to the current quarterly releases that add new features without changing the underlying systems as much . That means compatibility testing will have to be pushed forward, but the other benefit is that apps could have reasons to support new features – for example, iPhone Live Activities like ongoing notifications – because more devices can use them out of the box.