I’ve learned not to hope for much from Android updates and started appreciating the subtleties. The promise of major improvements once meant something until Google abandoned its innovative spirit for minor refinements.
It’s a good thing I switch between OEM phones, or I would be frustrated. The custom features sitting on top of Android improve my day-to-day use significantly.
However, this year’s Android 16 brings some surprisingly useful changes. They are small, but special because users should’ve had them long ago. These four are my favorites.
6 features that Android 16 needs to rejuvenate the OS
There’s plenty of room for Google to make these necessary changes
I now know when my phone’s battery will pack up
It’s an iPhone feature I’ve always wanted on Android
The battery health feature has been a familiar part of my iOS experience since my first iPhone 11. I’ve checked it all the way up to my current iPhone 13, ever since discovering how phone software tracks full charge cycles from 0 to 100%.
It’s even a practical tool for buying second-hand devices, as it tells me more than the surface condition of a phone. Deceptive electronics stores might display clean, refurbished phones. But the battery cells could be degraded.
On older software versions, I was limited to checking battery percentage. It only indicates how much charge remains in the upper-right corner of the screen, which helps me decide when to recharge.
Now on Android 16, battery health is in the settings menu. Go to Battery & Power Saving > Battery Health & Charging to see it.
My current status is a perfect 100% since I recently upgraded to the new phone.
But as a heavy user, my frequent charge cycles are sure to have an impact. It’s something I’m not worried about as my device offers controls for adjusting habits before its condition worsens.
AI Charging Protection learns my routine and stalls the battery at 80% during long charges. It tops up only when needed.
Meanwhile, Low-Temp Charge slows charging to reduce heat, which is a known silent killer of long-term battery health.
I now know what to do with my recent apps
A drop-down button was a necessary indicator
The recent apps screen shows a stack of preview cards with logos above them. Each card is a live snapshot of an app’s current state, and you can quickly switch between multiple programs.
You probably never thought about long-pressing their logos. If you do, it expands features such as locking apps to the screen, blurring their preview, enabling split-screen mode, and jumping to the information screen.
Android 16 introduced a tiny drop-down arrow next to the app name at the top of each card. It makes it obvious that tapping opens a list, and you no longer have to long-press.
Otherwise, these features are easy to miss if someone doesn’t show you.
I can now change my regional measurement system
I no longer gauge my reality by universal standards
Phone makers have always optimized the out-of-the-box experience for the largest markets, which include the US, Western Europe, and parts of Asia. These markets have the highest sales volumes.
If you’re outside those priority locations, there’s little inclusiveness. For example, Nigeria uses the Celsius scale for temperature and the metric system of meters, kilometers, kilograms, and liters for measurements.
Before, the preset region choice was the United States. Hence, my phone was set to the imperial unit system. I changed it to English (United Kingdom) to get the closest approximation to my country’s standard.
It was merely a workaround, given that the UK still uses miles instead of kilometers for road distances and stones instead of kilograms for body weight.
Now, I can leave my language setting and separately choose my measurements. It’s easier to see 32°C on my Weather app and know it’s a hot afternoon without making any mental conversions.
It’s particularly useful when I travel outside the country, where I’m not forced to adapt to new systems. My Google Calendar, fitness, scheduling, and Maps apps have since been re-adjusted to reflect these changes.
Go to Settings > System > Languages & Input. Scroll up and configure the options under Region preference to your liking.
I rest easy knowing exactly where my packages are
I don’t even have to do anything
Live Updates aren’t new. Samsung launched the idea with One UI 7 (based on Android 15) when it unveiled the Now Bar.
It later expanded with One UI 8 (based on Android 16), where Samsung added Audio broadcast and Commute services. Google is finally bringing it to everyone else.
The real-time alerts are the reason I no longer obsess over delivery ETAs. You’ll see a progress bar when you expand it in the notification panel. It actively moves as you, or whoever you’re tracking, navigate towards destinations.
When you don’t pull down the panel, you’ll see a tiny indicator in the upper-right corner of the status bar. I once ordered food on my favorite local grocery app, Chowdeck. I was alerted about everything from the restaurant handling to my doorstep without opening the app.
If you’re eager to try the feature, but you don’t have any active deliveries or rides to test it with, use the Android Easter Egg. It’s been updated to run on autopilot and chase down each planet, which triggers a live update.
Go to Settings and tap your phone name. Select Android Version. Again, tap Android Version quickly to reveal the Easter Egg.
Long-press the Android 16 logo to launch the spaceship. Then tap Auto in the lower-right corner. Expand the notification panel and tap the drop-down arrow beside the Easter Egg alert to see its progress.
Android 16 keeps reading my mind and I’m not mad about it
I didn’t tell my phone what I wanted, but somehow it knew
Baklava bakes in a smoother experience
Android 16’s features are designed to speak to you personally, and not be dramatic. Battery and notification management are a few of the things users already interact with numerous times a day.
Perhaps that’s why Google focused its efforts on those places.
Personally, I love the new notification cooldown feature. It allows alerts, but gradually reduces the noise when they arrive in bursts.
My trigger response to their annoyances is no longer to shut them off completely or enable Do Not Disturb.
