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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Android is moving to more frequent updates instead of yearly.
- The first update introduces several new features for Android.
- Users are getting urgent call indicators and pinned tabs.
Google has announced that it’s moving away from a single, yearly update of its Android mobile operating system to more frequent releases throughout the year.
To kick things off, the company revealed a roundup of updates that includes a second Android 16 release coming to eligible Pixel devices, plus new features coming to Android as a whole.
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The Android 16 release includes features such as AI-powered notification summaries, a notification organizer, and expanded parental controls. However, the more impactful features are being introduced to Android overall. Here’s a look at three of the biggest additions.
1. A new way to make sure a critical call gets through
One of the most intriguing new additions is Call Reason, a way to indicate that a call is critical.
With Call Reason, which Google says is “coming soon,” if you’re making a call to a saved contact, you can flag it as urgent. The call recipient will see a small bubble announcing “It’s urgent!” while the call is ringing and a similar flag on the call history if they miss the call.
A few months ago, an APK teardown by 9to5Google revealed an “Expressive Calling” feature, exclusive to Pixel phones, which allows you to specify a reason for your call — such as “Catch up,” “News to share,” or “Quick question.” An urgent option, which makes a special sound and breaks through do-not-disturb settings, was also spotted in the code. Google didn’t indicate today that the current Call Reason has this capability, but it appears to be forthcoming, if it is not already.
2. Pinned tabs are coming to Chrome
Also on the way is a feature that lets you keep important Chrome tabs visible. I know the tabs on my phone’s Chrome browser are a mix of articles I want to read later, sites I reference often, and the occasional important links I need for a short time. If you’re looking for an easier way to manage tabs, your answer is here.
Chrome on Android now has pinned tabs that stay at the front of your browser. To pin a tab, just enter the tab overview or grid view, and long-press on the tab you want to save and choose “Pin tab.” That tab will now move to the top of your grid and lose the “x,” button, meaning you’ll never accidentally close it out.
3. Avoid scams with Circle to Search
If you’re suspicious that a chat or text message might be a scam, you can use Circle to Search to learn more. Circle to Search, which rolled out last year, lets you learn more about anything on your screen by long-pressing your home button and then highlighting what you want to search. Now, if you circle a suspicious message, you’ll receive an AI Overview that explains more. You’ll see an explanation of how the scam works along with relevant guidance and next steps.
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If you’re an Android user, you should see these new features soon. You can learn more about them and see the rest of the additions at android.com/updates.
