Android 16 ‘Live Updates’ feature will change the way we check notifications: Here’s how

Like Live Activities on iOS, the upcoming feature may help you quickly check the status of your flight, food or cab and even show upcoming or ongoing events.

• By: Tech Desk
• New Delhi | January 29, 2025 06:29 PM IST
2 min read

Android 16 Beta 1 is already available for select Pixel phones. (Express Photo)

Google may have launched Android 15 just a few months ago, but the company is already gearing up for its next major update. Last week, the tech giant started rolling out Android 16 Beta 1 for supported Pixel devices, bringing numerous new features and UI improvements.

One of the most notable amongst these is Live Updates – a new feature that allows users to pin specific notifications for easy access. Similar to Apple’s Live Activities feature, which lets you quickly check things like the status of a flight, your ride, delivery or an event, Android 16’s Live Updates feature will enable developers to use the new notification style to share updates of ongoing notifications.

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Also Read | Apple starts rolling out iOS 18.3 update with smarter Apple Intelligence: Here’s why you should update

Live Updates looks similar to Live Activities on iOS. (Photo Source: Android Authority)

According to a recent report by Android Authority, Live Updates will also appear on the lock screen. As it turns out, Google is working on a compact notification shelf for the lock screen, which collapses notifications into a shelf. However, it looks like Android 16 won’t be forcing the new compact layout on users, meaning you may have to manually enable it.

The report goes on to say that notifications which appear as part of Live Update will also appear on the status bar. While Google hasn’t said anything about this, it looks like they might also appear on the always-on display.

For those wondering, smartphone manufacturers like OnePlus, Realme, Oppo and others have already developed a Live Updates like feature for Android phones, which allows users to check things like the delivery status of their Zomato order and quickly access Spotify playback controls to name a few.

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