Google rolls out Android 16 to Pixel phones, unveils AI-powered edit suggestion for Google Photos

Google has officially rolled out Android 16 to its Pixel smartphone lineup, introducing several notable features aimed at enhancing communication, security, and user customization. Key updates include the addition of group chat support for RCS messaging with options for custom icons and notification muting, improved accessibility features, and enhanced controls for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) audio devices. Android 16 also brings HDR screenshots, adaptive refresh rates, and forced notification grouping to reduce clutter. Later this year, Android 16 will extend to tablets with desktop-style windowing and customizable keyboard shortcuts. Additionally, Google Photos gains AI-powered edit suggestions that can erase, move, or “reimagine” parts of images, while Google Wallet now supports corporate badges and public transit payments via Wear OS devices. Alongside Android 16, Google launched its June Pixel Drop feature update, which adds a “Pixel VIPs” widget to track interactions with favorite contacts across calls, messages, and WhatsApp, plus enhanced video captions that describe subtle sounds like whispering or yawning. Users can create custom stickers via text prompts on Gboard, and the Recorder app now supports AI-generated summaries in French and German. Australian users gain Emergency SOS satellite connectivity, while Pixel 8a and newer models receive a battery health indicator. Accessibility improvements include a Magnifier app feature that highlights objects based on user descriptions, providing haptic feedback. Enterprise users benefit from storing corporate badges in Google Wallet and integrating Google’s Gemini chatbot in Google Docs for summarization, insights, and translation. Chrome on Android also improves PDF handling with linked document viewing. These updates began rolling out on Tuesday, marking a comprehensive enhancement to Pixel devices and Android’s ecosystem.