Android 16 adoption is growing, but an older version still dominates

Google just released its latest platform distribution statistics, revealing the adoption rate of the different versions of its mobile operating system. Unsurprisingly, Android 16 runs on a growing number of devices, though another version is the one used by the most people.

Android 16 runs on only 7.5% of Android devices

Only 7.5% of the devices running Android are using its latest version, according to distribution numbers shared by Google and reported by 9to5Google. Android 15 remains the most popular version, with 19.3% of devices running on it. In fact, Android 16 remains less popular than all versions newer than Android 10.



Google’s latest numbers are based on data from December 1, 2025. At the time, Android 16 was available for devices by many manufacturers, including Google, Samsung, OnePlus, and Sony. However, most of those were the higher-end models by those companies, with updates for mid-range and budget devices still rolling out.

A relative improvement

Adoption speed for the newest Android version seems to be improving. The last time Google shared Android distribution numbers was in April, and at the time only 4.5% of the devices were on Android 15. Seeing that 7.5% are using Android 16 in just a few months is a great result.

That’s still far from adoption trends for iOS. A recent report about the iOS 26 adoption showed that 60% of iPhone users were using the latest software, while 37% were still relying on iOS 18. That’s unusual for iPhone users, who are usually quick to update to the latest version of iOS.



Of course, such a comparison is unfair to Android. Unlike Apple’s unified user base and small number of models, Android is used on a giant number of devices by various manufacturers. Either way, the distribution data is important for developers as it allows them to invest time and resources in the software versions that people actually use.

Don’t skip the updates

Software updates can be annoying as they sometimes change things too much. However, keeping your devices up to date is crucial for your security, so I wouldn’t recommend you skip your updates for too long.

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