One of Android 16’s best features won’t be locked to Pixel phones — here’s what we know

Google has confirmed that one of the best new features included in the Android 16 beta won't be locked to Google Pixel phones.

The announcement came during the first day of Google I/O 2025, where it was revealed that Android 16's Live Update feature will also be available on Samsung, OnePlus, Vivo and Xiaomi phones.

The feature, first introduced as part of the Android 16 beta, offers real-time notifications from certain apps, like Uber or Google Maps, directly on the home or lock screen. The aim is to keep you constantly updated on the progress, without needing to constantly open and close the respective apps.

While this appears functionally similar to Apple's Live Activities feature on the iPhone's Dynamic Island, Google wants to make its version much more functional and interactive.

According to the showcase, Google's Live Update will allow users to take direct action from the notification, rather than having to open the respective app. For instance, being able to quickly call the Uber driver or tip the delivery person without ever needing to unlock the phone.

Will Live Updates look the same on all phones?

One big question is how Live Updates will be integrated into other devices' Android skins, and the show gave us a good idea. When it comes to Samsung's Galaxy phones, Live Updates will be included as part of One UI 8 and will be directly integrated into the Now Bar.

Meanwhile, OnePlus devices will integrate the feature into the Live Alerts system that was introduced in OxygenOS 15. While we don't have the exact details yet, it's stated that Vivo and Xiaomi will also be integrating the feature into their respective Android skins.

This wasn't the only announcement regarding Android 16 made at Google I/O that will be coming to the best Android phones. For instance, we finally got an official look at Android 16's new look thanks to the updated design language, Material 3 Expressive. The new design aims to add more personalization and expressiveness to Android phones.

With that said, many will be wondering when the Android 16 update will arrive. We don't currently have a set date, but during The Android Show hosted on May 13, it was stated that Samsung and many other devices will get Android 16 this summer.

Meanwhile, Android boss Sameer Samat revealed that Google Pixel devices will be able to download the update later this year. As it stands, most rumors agree on a June release, which, considering Google usually gets the updates first, would leave plenty of time for a summer release.

Overall, it's looking like it's going to be a pretty fantastic couple of months for Android devices. For more information on all the reveals made during the Google I/O event, then check out our full recap.

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