It’s only January and we have already cruised right through the developer preview stage and onto betas for the next version of Android. It’s a wild timeline we’re now living in, but yes, Android 16 Beta is officially here for Pixel phones and you can test it today.

The first beta of the next major version of Google's mobile OS is launching today with Android 16 Beta 1 rolling out to Pixel devices.

Google is releasing its previously announced Identity Check feature today, adding extra protection to "critical account and device settings" when you're not in a trusted location. With Identity Check enabled,

Identity Check is the latest in Google's suite of theft protection features, ensuring that a passcode alone is not enough to gain unauthorized access