Google hints at Android 16 Beta 3 arriving tomorrow

Google is giving us a sneak peek at the next Android 16 update, with Beta 3 set to roll out on Thursday, March 13. The company kicked off this short, one-day tease last month, and it’s back again today. The @AndroidDev X account posted: “Get ready—Android 16 Beta 3 lands tomorrow! Swing by here to catch the release details. :timer_clock:”

These quick updates are aimed at developers and don’t promise huge shifts like we saw in Beta 2. Last month’s highlight was a handy tweak letting users open Google Wallet with a double tap of the power button instead of the Pixel Camera.

We also saw a new “Extra dim” option baked into the settings, plus a revamped “Languages & region” section under Settings > System, complete with a measurement system picker. There was a small hiccup, though—the Settings app’s background color looked off, but fingers crossed it’s sorted in tomorrow’s drop. Another neat addition was a “Switch users” homescreen widget.

What makes Android 16 Beta 3 special is something called Platform Stability. This step locks in the “final APIs and behaviors,” meaning any big changes need to show up here as the preview phase starts wrapping up.

Looking forward, there’s more to come. Android 16 Beta 4 is slated for April and will mark the first release candidate. We might even see a few extra beta updates before the full launch in June.
This steady rollout keeps developers in the loop and sets the stage for a polished Android 16 down the road. Stay tuned!