It looks like Android 16 will add a feature that lets you screen record what you’re doing on an external monitor. This is an expansion of a current Android 15 feature that enables you to screenshot external monitors connected to Android devices.
Spotted by Android Authority, Android 16 Beta 3 includes a third option in the screen recorder menu: “Record HDMI Screen.” It works just the same as recording your device display, encoding and saving the resulting video in the same way as well.
Right now, the feature only works with Android’s built-in screen recording abilities and only works with external monitors — so you can’t record with a third-party app and you can’t record any screens that you cast to with the Cast Tile. We could see this kind of functionality expansion in the future, though.
The ability to screen record an external monitor could be connected to Android 16’s Desktop View feature. This desktop mode will help Pixel phones and Android devices compete with Samsung and Motorola phones which provide a complete PC experience when connected to an external display.
It’s a useful feature for people who don’t have a pressing everyday need for a laptop or a desktop PC. Instead, when you do occasionally need to do a bit of word processing or work on Google Sheets, for example, you can simply plug your phone into an external display and grab a mouse and keyboard.
And with plenty of TVs capable of acting as an external monitor, you could potentially set up a “workstation” for the price of just a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse set — something you can grab on Amazon for as little as $20.
Willow Roberts has been a Computing Writer at Digital Trends for a year and has been writing for about a decade. She has a…
Android 16 to feature major health updates, starting with Fitbit
Android 15 was launched a few months ago, and discussion is already turning to Android 16, which is currently in the testing phase. According to a report from Android Authority, the upcoming update is set to enhance Google’s Health Connect app by adding support for new medical records.
This addition could improve how users interact with their health data. Google’s Fitbit platform is anticipated to benefit from this enhancement first, allowing users to input fitness data and access and manage medical records more seamlessly. As Fitbit integrates with Health Connect for data input and retrieval, this new feature may further enhance the app’s utility for users tracking fitness and health information in one location.
Read more
This Android 16 feature will change how you multitask forever
Google is not expected to release Android 16 to the public for a few months, but there has already been significant buzz around the update. The most recent news about the update comes from Android Authority, and it’s particularly exciting for tablet users.
The report indicates that Android 16 will significantly enhance the split-screen mode. Inspired by OnePlus’ Open Canvas feature for the OnePlus Open—and later adapted for the OnePlus Pad 2—this update will enable users to run up to three apps simultaneously. Two apps will occupy 90% of the display in this setup, while the third will take up the remaining 10%.
Read more
Android 16 adds a new way to use the Google Pixel 9’s fingerprint sensor
Biometric security — the ability to unlock your phone with your fingerprint or face — is an amazing feature, but you often have to turn on the phone’s screen before you can use it. That’s because many fingerprint sensors are optical and need light in order to work. Fortunately, Android 16 will make it so that you can open your Pixel 9 without turning your phone screen on at all (while also avoiding the groan that comes from searing your eyes.)
The feature was noted in the Android 16 Developer Preview 2, or DP2, by 9to5Google. The findings imply that this only applies to the Google Pixel 9 series because while it does appear in the Settings search on the Pixel 8 Pro, there’s no option to enable it. This is likely due to the Pixel 9’s ultrasonic fingerprint scanner; the improved hardware doesn’t require light to use it.
Read more
