Android 16's iOS-like Live Updates to make their way to wearables next year

Summary

• Android 16 will introduce "Live Updates," a new notification feature similar to iOS's Live Activities, providing real-time information on the always-on display, status bar, and lock/notification screens.
• Live Updates will first arrive on Android phones and foldables in 2025, with support for Wear OS devices expected to follow in 2026, mirroring the availability of Live Activities on Apple Watch.
• Google has outlined appropriate use cases for Live Updates (like ride-sharing and delivery) and cautioned against misuse for ads or spam, while also giving users per-app control to enable or disable the feature.

One of iOS' best features is Live Activities, letting users stay on top of what's happening across apps in real-time. Introduced first in 2022 as a software experience built around the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island, the feature has since expanded to other iPhones that don't sport a Dynamic Island, paired with seamless integration with the Apple Watch.

Users have long awaited a feature akin to Live Activities, and Google is now done playing catch-up.

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Android 16's first beta is here with major tablet improvements and iOS-like Live Updates

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Google will introduce its similarly-named Live Activities equivalent, Live Updates, with Android 16. Thanks to the new notification class' presence in beta builds, we know what Live Updates will look like, and those who haven't hopped on the beta channel will get to experience the feature with stable next month.

As part of its I/O briefing, Google shared more information about the upgrades coming to Android notifications and Live Updates in general (via 9to5Google). The tech giant reiterated some information that we're already privy to, while also sharing new tidbits about the future of Live Updates.

Wear OS support is coming in 2026

• Live Update notifications get heightened visibility by appearing on the Always-on Display, Android's status bar, and as the top-ranking notification category in the notification drawer and lock screen. Live Updates will only ever take the second spot if there's a heads-up notification or "notifications that are reserved for the most important and urgent alerts."
• Live Updates will work seamlessly with Android 16 across handsets and foldables in 2025. Then, sometime "later in 2026," Google intends to bring Live Updates to wearables, likely starting off with Wear OS devices. For reference, Apple's Live Activities are already available on compatible Apple wearables running watchOS 11.

Source: Google

• Developers need to understand whether their app's notifications make sense as a Live Update to not be perceived as "abuse or spam." Good use cases for Live Updates include notifications for activities that are ongoing, notifications that are time-sensitive, updates that have a clear beginning and end time, notifications that require user attention, and notifications from rideshare, delivery, and navigation apps.
• Bad use cases for Live Updates include notifications for ads and promotion, chat messages, alerts, or anything "spammy."
• Users will have the option to toggle Live Updates on and off for each app. "Once toggled off, your app's notifications won't have a chip or any other prominent features until the user manually turns the feature back on in Settings."

Source: Google

Have you already tried out Android 16's new Live Updates in beta, or are you eagerly waiting for the stable release next month? Let us know in the comments below.