Mountain View, California – Android 16 Beta 3 is being rolled out to Pixel devices today marking an important milestone known as Platform Stability, which finalizes app-facing behaviors and internal/external APIs to facilitate developers in updating their applications.
The latest Beta 3 release brings support for Auracast broadcast audio, enabling compatible hearing aids to receive direct audio streams from public places such as airports, concerts, and classrooms. This feature aims to enhance accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments.
In addition, Android 16 Beta 3 introduces a new feature replacing high contrast text with outline text that surrounds the text with a larger contrasting area to improve legibility significantly. Moreover, the update includes new AccessibilityManager APIs to allow app developers to check or register a listener to determine if this mode is enabled.
Developers can now begin testing Local Network Protection (LNP) which offers users more control over which apps can access devices on their local network. This change, set to launch with a future Android major release, will require apps to request specific permission to access the local network, unlike the current system where any app with INTERNET permission can communicate with devices on the user’s network.
Android 16 Beta 3 also addresses various developer- and user-reported issues along with improving system stability, performance, and Bluetooth pairing. Users can provide feedback on the update through the Android Beta Feedback app on Pixel devices, where they can report bugs in the Google issue tracker or engage in discussions within the Android Beta community on Reddit.
Furthermore, system images of Android 16 Beta 3 (BP22.250221.010) with the March 2025 security patch are now accessible for a range of Pixel devices including the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, and more, along with the Android Emulator. Users can download the necessary files for their specific device from the provided factory image or OTA links.
In conclusion, the latest Android 16 Beta 3 update brings significant improvements and new features to Pixel devices, aiming to enhance user experience, accessibility, and security. Users are encouraged to explore the new functionalities and provide feedback to contribute to the ongoing development of the Android platform.