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Google has begun rolling out Android 16 to Pixel phone devices, a month or two earlier than expected. Consequently, you may not have caught up with all the new business-oriented features that are included in the latest release.
If your company deploys phones using Android Enterprise, there’s a host of new security features here that will only apply to devices running Android 16. If you’re not deploying Google Pixel phones, that will mean you have to wait until the manufacturer pushes the update.
Identity Check is one such feature, effectively forcing employees to use biometric authentication (fingerprint or facial recognition) to unlock the device or when accessing sensitive company information when they’re not in trusted locations, such as the office. It’s designed to cut down on the amount of devices/data stolen using PIN theft, or even from someone looking over your shoulder on a crowded Tube.
If staff are trying to get back into the building, they might now be able to do so with Google Wallet. Normally used for things such as airline boarding passes or loyalty cards, Wallet can now store corporate ID badges, meaning staff can use their phone to pass through NFC-enabled security gates.
Google’s also introducing a new Advanced Protection mode that defends against “online attacks, harmful apps, unsafe websites, scam calls and more”. Details on how this new mode works are thin, but the company claims it can be enabled with a single tap.
For enterprises with huge internal networks, Android 16 is also offering support for 5G slicing, meaning you can have a portion of your network dedicated to business applications, potentially reducing congestion when trying to access key business data or apps.
Aside from the new enterprise-grade features, there are default operating system features that are available to everyone which could have business consequences.
For example, notification auto-grouping – where alerts from the same app/type of app are bundled together – is intended to reduce information overload, particularly if you’ve just reopened your phone after a long meeting or flight.
The new live updates facility will provide real-time notifications for services such as transport or food deliveries, although it’s not in this initial June release but will arrive later in the year. In practical terms, this means that if you’re waiting for an Uber to whisk you to a business meeting, you should see these live updates pinned to the top of the notifications drawer or on always-on displays. If you’re operating a business offering deliveries etc, you may also want to check your developers are on top of creating such notifications to keep customers informed.
Google is also bolstering the spam protection in Android 16, using on-device AI to flag SMS messages it suspects of being a scam. Again, this will hopefully mean both your employees and customers are better protected against attacks targeting your staff or your brand.
All Google Pixel phones from the Pixel 6 upwards should now have access to Android 16. Other devices will depend on manufacturer support. Note that the visual overhaul Google planned with Android 16 won’t now arrive until September.
