The long-awaited day has finally arrived: it’s the launch day of Android 16. However, it’s important to note that one of its most anticipated features, Material 3 Expressive, won’t be included in this initial update. Instead, we are expecting to see that feature in the QPR1 update, which is slated for an August release to coincide with the launch of the Google Pixel 10.

Despite the absence of Material 3 Expressive, Android 16 introduces several noteworthy features. The most significant addition is likely the Live Updates functionality. Similar to Apple’s Live Activities, Android users can now track real-time progress from their lock screens or status bars.

For instance, if you’ve ordered food from Uber Eats, you can monitor your order’s status without unlocking your device. Google is also collaborating with partners to integrate this feature into platforms like Samsung’s Now Bar and OPPO and OnePlus’ Live Alerts. Another improvement in Android 16 is the grouping of notifications from the same app into a single alert.

While this isn’t a brand-new concept, it will now be a requirement for all applications. As a result, you will only receive one notification even if multiple alerts are generated by an app, which should help declutter your notification shade. Additionally, Google has partnered with Samsung to introduce a new Desktop Windowing feature.

This innovation allows users to interact with their apps in a more traditional desktop experience on large-screen devices, such as the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Users will be able to open, adjust, and resize multiple app windows like they would on a standard desktop computer. Custom keyboard shortcuts are expected to roll out later this year, offering users more control over their multitasking experiences.

These updates highlight just a few of the exciting features Android 16 brings. Users can look forward to more enhancements as Google frequently bundles feature drops with new Android versions.