- First-Look images of Android’s upcoming live update feature revealed
- Similar sensation as iOS Live activities
- Live updates are currently only functional in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta but should be rolled out next quarter
Google revealed its upcoming live update feature at this year’s Google I/O event back in May, and although the Android 16 -Outtroll has begun, it is not widely available for another few months.
In the meantime, Google has released new insights into its version of iOS’s live activities, including what kind of apps feature will support.
Android 16S live updates are similar to live activities in iOS that show timely information and ‘progress-style’ messages on your lock screen that are often updated, which means you don’t have to open apps to view their status. Currently, live updates are only functional in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, but it is expected to land with the wider Android 16 roll out later in the year.
Since it was only preview on Google I/O, the functionality and appearance of the function itself has remained ambiguous, but a recent post on the Android developer page provides further details of what we can expect from live updates – including a first look at the feature in action.
In Android’s posts, live updates are used ‘for continuous activities, user -initiated and time sensitive’. Just as live activities in iOS, the Android 16S live updates will support phone calls, food and riding hare -tracking and ‘active navigation’ for apps showing live -tour -progress like Google Maps.
Google even goes into detail about how developers should show live updates when it comes to time -sensitive messages using the following explanation:
‘A live update is often appropriate for activities that surpass between live updates and normal messages. For example, it is appropriate to show a boarding pass review many hours before a user’s flight, but the message should only become a live update when the user has an urgent need, e.g. Once arrived at the airport or venue or once boarding has begun. In contrast, a live update is not appropriate to track a package as the user does not need to monitor this’.
Android has its limits
While Google has given us the long -awaited visual insight into live updates, the company has also been ready with app developers that the feature should not be abused.
In his post, Google has been pretty explicit with this, stating ‘Do not use live updates to offer accelerated access to app feature’. Ads, campaigns, chat messages, alarms, upcoming calendar events and quick access to app features have been considered ‘inappropriate uses’.
Now the only most important detail missing is an official roll -out date for live updates. As mentioned above, live updates are only available with the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, but Android Authority’s findings suggest apps starting to lean into this feature next quarter when the update is expected to go live.
