Google has a separate Android-based operating system (OS) that powers smart TVs. The Mountain View-based tech giant released Android TV 14 earlier this year as the latest update and it was speculated to be followed by the Android 15-based OS next year. However, that might not be the case anymore as Google is said to be changing its release schedule to a bi-yearly basis. This suggests that smart TVs might miss out on Android 15 altogether and Android 16 could be the next big OS update.
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Android TV 16 Release in 2026
This information comes from Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman. As per the report, Google privately announced the alleged change in the release schedule at its Android TV partner conference. The company is said to be adopting a bi-yearly release strategy for Android TV updates and this could mean skipping out on Android TV 15.
The report highlights that Google did not mention anything about the change in its release schedule when asked for a comment on the matter.
While this move is claimed to have been made official for future releases, there is a precedent of Google not rolling out yearly updates for Android TVs. The company did not release Android TV 13 and instead directly went to Android TV 14 which debuted earlier this year. It arrived with new features and improvements including a picture-in-picture mode, different energy modes, AI-powered personalised descriptions and new accessibility features like colour correction, improved text options, better navigation, and more.
If the same launch pattern is followed by the company, then Android TV 16 could be the next big Android OS update for smart TVs and it would be released in 2026, in line with its bi-yearly release scheduling.
While not much is known about the features it might offer, Google has been spotted testing several new system APIs for the Android TV 16, the report adds.
