For the last decade or so, Google has released major Android updates in the fall after an extended developer and beta preview process, but for 2025, that’s changing. Now, Google is planning its major release, which we expect will be Android 16, for Q2 instead of Q3, confirming a recent report from Android Authority.

Sure, Google Pixel phones have been first up for the latest releases, but what about everyone else? A new schedule could make it easier for more manufacturers to release new devices with the latest capabilities available on day one instead of waiting for future updates to add things like Circle to Search.

In the new pattern, Google is telling developers that there will be a major release in Q2, along with a minor SDK release in Q4 that’s more like the current quarterly releases that add new features without changing the underlying systems as much. It will mean shifting compatibility testing forward, but the other benefit is that apps could have reasons to support new features — iPhone Live Activities-like ongoing notifications, for example — because more devices will be able to use them right away.