Google is taking a page from Apple's playbook, and we have no complaints. Google has confirmed that Android 16’s Live Updates are headed to Wear OS. The feature will be introduced on Wear OS wearables in 2026. Google could integrate Live Updates with Wear OS Tiles or introduce an entirely new system to deliver them.

Android is getting a design refresh, launching a mixed reality platform for smart glasses, and Gemini is expanding to cars and watches. Can it entice the overwhelmingly dominant iPhone-owning youth?

Google confirmed that Android 16 gives devices the ability to display a desktop-style experience when they're connected to an external monitor.

We've known for while that Google is working a version of DeX as previously leaked Android 16 code revealed a desktop mode that was turned off by default. At the same time, a version of Samsung DeX was discovered in One UI 8 test builds that appeared to take advantage of the Android 16 Material 3 Express redesign.

Google is working with Samsung to bring a desktop mode to Android. During Google I/O’s developer keynote, engineering manager Florina Muntenescu said the company is “building on the foundation” of Samsung’s DeX platform “to bring enhanced windowing capabilities in Android 16,” as spotted earlier by 9to5Google.

If your Android phone is a few years old, it might not have cutting-edge cameras or a razor-thin design. But it's probably still plenty capable enough for your day-to-day needs. Google and Samsung have promised years of software updates for their devices, so you don't have to rush out and buy a new phone just to enjoy new features and updates .

Android Studio, the integrated development environment (IDE) for Android app developers, is getting an AI upgrade, Google announced at its developer conference, Google I/O 2025.

“Although the feature is experimental, the goal is to increase the speed that you can ship high-quality code, while significantly reducing the amount of time you spend manually testing, validating, or reproducing issues,” wrote Android Studio Product Manager Mayank Jain in a blog post. Other new features for Android Studio enabled by Gemini are: