Dev Channel Update for ChromeOS / ChromeOS Flex

The Dev channel is being updated to OS version 16328.18.0 (Browser version 139.0.7258.33) for most ChromeOS devices. 

If you find new issues, please let us know one of the following ways

  1. File a bug

  2. Visit our ChromeOS communities

    1. General: Chromebook Help Community

    2. Beta Specific: ChromeOS Beta Help Community

  3. Report an issue or send feedback on Chrome

Interested in switching channels? Find out how.

Andy Wu,
Google ChromeOS

Dev Channel Update for ChromeOS / ChromeOS Flex

The Dev channel is being updated to OS version 16328.18.0 (Browser version 139.0.7258.33) for most ChromeOS devices. 

If you find new issues, please let us know one of the following ways

  1. File a bug

  2. Visit our ChromeOS communities

    1. General: Chromebook Help Community

    2. Beta Specific: ChromeOS Beta Help Community

  3. Report an issue or send feedback on Chrome

Interested in switching channels? Find out how.

Andy Wu,
Google ChromeOS

Transition to using 16 KB page sizes for Android apps and games using Android Studio

Posted by Mayank Jain – Product Manager and Jomo Fisher – Software Engineer

Get ready to upgrade your app's performance as Android embraces 16 KB memory page sizes

Android’s transition to 16 KB Page size

Traditionally, Android has operated with the 4 KB memory page size. However many ARM CPUs (the most common processors for Android phones) support the larger 16 KB page size, offering improved performance gains. With Android 15, the Android operating system is page-size-agnostic, allowing devices to run efficiently with either 4 KB or 16 KB page size.

Starting November 1st, 2025, all new apps and app updates that use native C/C++ code targeting Android 15+ devices submitted to Google Play must support 16 KB page sizes. This is a crucial step towards ensuring your app delivers the best possible performance on the latest Android hardware. Apps without native C/C++ code or dependencies, that just use the Kotlin and Java programming languages, are already compatible, but if you're using native code, now is the time to act.

This transition to larger 16 KB page sizes translates directly into a better user experience. Devices configured with 16 KB page size can see an overall performance boost of 5-10%. This means faster app launch times (up to 30% for some apps, 3.16% on average), improved battery usage (4.56% reduction in power draw), quicker camera starts (4.48-6.60% faster), and even speedier system boot-ups (around 0.8 seconds faster). While there is a marginal increase in memory use, a faster reclaim path is worth it.

The native code challenge – and how Android Studio equips you

If your app uses native C/C++ code from the Android NDK or relies on SDKs that do, you'll need to recompile and potentially adjust your code for 16 KB compatibility. The good news? Once your application is updated for the 16 KB page size, the same application binary can run seamlessly on both 4 KB and 16 KB devices.

This table describes who needs to transition and recompile their apps

A table describes who needs to transition or recomplie their apps based on native codebase and device size

We’ve created several Android Studio tools and guides that can help you prepare for migrating to using 16 KB page size.

Detect compatibility issues

APK Analyzer: Easily identify if your app contains native libraries by checking for .so files in the lib folder. The APK Analyzer can also visually indicate your app's 16 KB compatibility. You can then determine and update libraries as needed for 16 KB compliance.

Screenshot of the APK Analyzer in Android Studio

Alignment Checks: Android Studio also provides warnings if your prebuilt libraries or APKs are not 16 KB compliant. You should then use the APK Analyzer tool to review which libraries need to be updated or if any code changes are required. If you want to detect the 16 KB page size compatibility checks in your CI (continuous integration) pipeline, you can leverage scripts and command line tools.

Screenshot of Android 16 KB Alignment check in Android Studio

Lint in Android Studio now also highlights the native libraries which are not 16 KB aligned.

Screenshot of Lint performing a 16 KB alignment check in Android Studio

Build with 16 KB alignment

Tools Updates: Rebuild your native code with 16 KB alignment. Android Gradle Plugin (AGP) version 8.5.1 or higher automatically enables 16 KB alignment by default (during packaging) for uncompressed shared libraries. Similarly, Android NDK r28 and higher compile 16 KB-aligned by default. If you depend on other native SDK’s, they also need to be 16 KB aligned. You might need to reach out to the SDK developer to request a 16 KB compliant SDK.

Fix code for page-size agnosticism

Eliminate Hardcoded Assumptions: Identify and remove any hardcoded dependencies on PAGE_SIZE or assumptions that the page size is 4 KB (e.g., 4096). Instead, use getpagesize() or sysconf(_SC_PAGESIZE) to query the actual page size at runtime.

Test in a 16 KB environment

Android Emulator Support: Android Studio offers a 16 KB emulator target (for both arm64 and x86_64) directly in the Android Studio SDK Manager, allowing you to test your applications before uploading to Google Play.

Screenshot of the 16 KB emulator in Android Studio

On-Device Testing: For compatible devices like Pixel 8 and 8 Pro onwards (starting with Android 15 QPR1), a new developer option allows you to switch between 4 KB and 16 KB page sizes for real-device testing. You can verify the page size using adb shell getconf PAGE_SIZE.

Screenshot of the 16 KB emulator in Android Studio

Don't wait – prepare your apps today

Leverage Android Studio’s powerful tools to detect issues, build compatible binaries, fix your code, and thoroughly test your app for the new 16 KB memory page sizes. By doing so, you'll ensure an improved end user experience and contribute to a more performant Android ecosystem.

As always, your feedback is important to us – check known issues, report bugs, suggest improvements, and be part of our vibrant community on LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, or X.

Announcing GenAI Processors: Build powerful and flexible Gemini applications

GenAI Processors is a new open-source Python library from Google DeepMind designed to simplify the development of AI applications, especially those handling multimodal input and requiring real-time responsiveness, by providing a consistent "Processor" interface for all steps from input handling to model calls and output processing, for seamless chaining and concurrent execution.

Evolving Android’s early-access programs: Introducing the Canary channel

Posted by Dan Galpin – Android Developer Relations

To better support you and provide earlier, more consistent access to in-development features, we are announcing a significant evolution in our pre-release program. Moving forward, the Android platform will have a Canary release channel, which will replace the previous developer preview program. This Canary release channel will function alongside the existing beta program.

This change is designed to provide a more streamlined and continuous opportunity for you to try out new platform capabilities and provide feedback throughout the entire year, not just in the early months of a new release cycle.

Limitations of the previous developer preview model

The Developer Preview program has been a critical part of our release cycle, but its structure had inherent limitations:

    • Developer Previews were not tied to a release channel, and had to be manually flashed to devices every time the cycle would restart.
    • Because previews were tied to the next designated Android release, they were only available during the earliest part of the cycle. Once a platform version reached the Beta stage, the preview track would end, creating a gap where features that were promising but not yet ready for Beta had no official channel for feedback.

A continuous flow of features with the Canary channel

The new Android platform Canary channel addresses these challenges directly. By flashing your supported Pixel device to the Canary release channel, you can now receive a continuous, rolling stream of the latest platform builds via over-the-air (OTA) updates.

    • You can try out and provide input on new features and planned behavior changes in their earliest stages. These changes may not always make it into a stable Android release.
    • The Canary release channel will run in parallel with the beta program. The beta program remains the way for you to try a more polished set of likely soon-to-be-released features.
    • You can use the Canary builds with your CI to see if any of our in-development features cause unexpected problems with your app, maximizing the time we have to address your concerns.

Who should use the Canary channel?

The Canary channel is intended for developers that want to explore and test with the earliest pre-release Android APIs and potential behavior changes. Builds from the Canary channel will have passed our automated tests as well as experienced a short test cycle with internal users. You should expect bugs and breaking changes. These bleeding-edge builds will not be the best choice for someone to use as their primary or only device.

The existing beta channel will remain the primary way for you to make sure that your apps are both compatible with and take advantage of upcoming platform features.

Getting started and providing feedback

You can use the Android Flash Tool to get the most recent Canary build onto your supported Pixel device. Once flashed, you should expect OTA updates for the latest Canary builds as they become available. To exit the channel, flash a Beta or Public build to your device. This will require a data partition wipe.

screenshot of the select a build menu for a Pixel 9 Pro device to get the most recent Canary build in the Android Flash Tool

Canary releases will be available on the Android Emulator through the Device Manager in Android Studio (currently, just in the Android Studio Canary channel), and Canary SDKs will be available for you to develop against through the SDK Manager.

screenshot of the Android SDK manager showing the Android Canary SDKs

Since most behavior changes require targeting a release, you can target Canary releases the way you can target any other platform SDK version, or use the Compatibility Framework with supported features to enable behavior changes in your apps.

screenshot of the Target SDK Version and the android-CANARY target

Feedback is a critical component of this new program, so please file feature feedback and bug reports on your Canary experience through the Google Issue Tracker.

By transitioning to a true Canary channel, we aim to create a more transparent, collaborative, and efficient development process, giving you the seamless access you need to prepare for the future of Android.

Start building for the next generation of Samsung Galaxy devices

Posted by J. Eason – Director, Product Management

The next generation of foldable and wearable devices from Samsung has arrived. Yesterday at Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung introduced the new Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, and Galaxy Watch8 series. For Android developers, these devices represent an exciting new opportunity to create engaging and adaptive experiences that reach even more users on their favorite screens.

With new advancements in adaptive development and the launch of Wear OS 6, it has never been a better time to build for the expanding Android device ecosystem. Learn more about what these new devices mean for you and how you can get started.

side by side images of Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip7 on the left and Galaxy Z Fold7 on the right

Unfold your app’s adaptive potential on Samsung’s newest Galaxy devices

The launch of the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 on Android 16 means users are about to experience your app in more dynamic and versatile ways than before. This creates an opportunity to captivate them with experiences that adaptively respond to every fold and flip. And preparing your app for these features is easier than you think. Building adaptive apps isn’t just about rewriting your code, but about making strategic enhancements that ensure a seamless experience across screens.

Google and Samsung have collaborated to bring a more seamless and powerful desktop windowing experience to large screen devices and phones with connected displays in Android 16 across the Android ecosystem. These advancements will enhance Samsung DeX, starting with the new Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, and also extend to the wider Android ecosystem.

To help you meet this moment, we’ve built a foundation of development tools to simplify creating compelling adaptive experiences. Create adaptive layouts that reflow automatically with the Compose Adaptive Layouts library and guide users seamlessly across panes with Jetpack Navigation 3. Make smarter top-level layout decisions using the newly expanded Window Size Classes. Then, iterate and validate your design in Android Studio, from visualizing your UI with Compose Previews to generating robust tests with natural language using Journeys with Gemini.

side by side images of Samsung's Watch8 Classic LTE 44mm in Silver on the left and Watch8 Classic LTE 46mm in Black on the right

Build for a more personal and expressive era with Wear OS 6

The next chapter for wearables begins with the new Samsung Galaxy Watch8 series becoming the first device to feature Wear OS 6, the most power-efficient version of our wearable platform yet. This update is focused on giving you the tools to create more personal experiences without compromising on battery life. With version 4 of the Watch Face Format, you can unlock new creative possibilities like letting users customize their watch faces by selecting their own photos or adding fluid transitions to the display. And, to give you more flexibility in distribution, the Watch Face Push API allows you to create and manage your own watch face marketplace.

Beyond the watch face, you can provide a streamlined experience to users by embracing an improved always-on display and adding passkey support to your app with the Credential Manager API, which is now available on Wear OS.

Check out the latest changes to get started and test your app for compatibility using the Wear OS 6 emulator.

Get started building across screens, from foldables to wearables

With these new devices from Samsung, there are more reasons than ever to build experiences that excite users on their favorite Android screens. From building fully adaptive apps for foldables to creating more personal experiences on Wear OS, the tools are in your hands to create for the future of Android.

Explore all the resources you’ll need to build adaptive experiences at developer.android.com/adaptive-apps. And, start building for Wear OS today by checking out developer.android.com/wear and visiting the Wear OS gallery for inspiration.

Google Ads API v18 Sunset Reminder

Google Ads API v18 will sunset on August 20, 2025. Starting on this date, all v18 API requests will begin to fail. Migrate to a newer version prior to August 20, 2025 to ensure your API access is unaffected.

Here are some resources to help you with the migration:

You can view a list of methods and services your project has recently called using the Google Cloud Console:

  1. Open the APIs & Services in the Google Cloud Console.
  2. Click Google Ads API in the table.
  3. On the METRICS subtab, you should see your recent requests plotted on each graph. You can see which methods you've sent requests to in the Methods table. The method name includes a Google Ads API version, a service, and a method name, such as google.ads.googleads.v18.services.GoogleAdsService.Mutate.
  4. (Optional) Choose the timeframe you want to view for your requests.

If you have questions while you’re upgrading, reach out to us on the forum or at [email protected].

Introducing Lucidchart and Lucidspark apps in Google Chat

What’s changing 

Lucidchart, an app that helps users collaborate on diagrams, such as flowcharts, wireframes, entity relationship diagrams, and more, and Lucidspark, a virtual whiteboard tool, are two third-party add-ons already available across Workspace apps, such as Docs and Meet. Today, we’re excited to announce support for both of these apps in Google Chat.

Lucidchart and Lucidspark’s integrations with Google Chat will enable users to: 
  • Get an immediate preview of Lucidspark and Lucidchart links shared in Chat conversations. 
  • Type “/lucidsearch” in Chat to find and share Lucid documents instantly.
  • Keep teams aligned by bringing visual context into conversations. 
Searching for Lucid documents in Chat spaces
                            Searching for Lucid documents in Chat spaces

Additional details 

Lucid built this Chat integration using the new capability to build Chat apps as Workspace add-ons.

Getting started 

Rollout pace 

Availability 

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts 

Resources