Rumor has it that Google is pushing Android TV in a new direction which involves missing out on Android 15 and straight to Android 16 in which case the implementation date will be set for 2026.
Key Points:
The company will allegedly skip over Android 15 for smart tvs
The company could potentially launch Android tv16 sometime in 2026
They’re currently doing test runs for new system APIs for Android TV 16
Android TV Release Schedule Modification:
After Android TV 14 was released, the consensus was that Google would also roll out Android TV 15 in the coming update period. Despite this there are allegations that suggest that Google will move from a yearly to a six month release cycle. Due to this, it’s predicted that the company will skip Android 15 tv and instead directly go to the 2026 Android 16 version.
Mishaal Rahman who is a staff member at Android authority claims that this information was uniquely shared by Google during one of the Android tv conferences with their partners. The company has declined to comment on this shift however they did note that several past decisions do coincide with releasing every other version, for instance, missing out on Android tv 13 and going straight to tv 14.
Google incorporated several new features in Android TV 14 like picture in picture mode, energy settings, AI features and content recommendations, and accessibility gathering focus among other features. If google carries out this modified release timeline then along with introduction of Android TV 16 major updates would be including in March 2026 along with the new feature which is currently being tested via new system APIs.
