Google has announced that a fine Pixel feature will also become available for other Android devices. It is about the Live Updates feature that will be added to Android with Android 16. Other brands will now start adding this functionality to their software.
Live Updates in Android
Google has confirmed that one of Android 16's most eye-catching new features, Live Updates, will be made available on devices from multiple manufacturers later this year. With that, the feature is no longer exclusively reserved for the company's own Pixel line.
Introduced earlier this year in the beta version of Android 16, Live Updates provides users with real-time information about ongoing activities, such as the status of meal delivery, a ride on a taxi app or the progress of a navigation instruction. Instead of opening an app each time, Android displays the information directly on the lock screen or home screen, with interactive actions also available. Think of calling a driver or tipping, without having to open the app.
During Google I/O, Google explained how the feature works and highlighted the differences with similar implementations on other platforms. For example, Android offers direct interaction with notifications, as opposed to the passive display on iPhones, for example.
The extension to other brands means that users of devices from Samsung, OnePlus and Xiaomi, among others, will soon also be able to use the feature. In doing so, each brand will choose its own implementation within their Android shell. With Samsung, this will happen in the Now Bar, while with OnePlus we will start to see the feature reflected in the Live Alerts bar.
For now, the application of Live Updates is limited to apps in the categories of delivery, ride-sharing and navigation. Google says that support may be expanded in future versions, although it also depends on developers for this. Later in 2026, Live Updates should also become available in Wear OS.
