Google rolled out the first Android 16 beta update earlier in late January. Google offered the latest update for the Pixel 6, 6a, 6 Pro, 7, 7a, 7 Pro, Fold, Tablet, 8, 8a, 8 Pro, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold smartphones. A couple of days ago, the search engine giant rolled out the Android 16 Beta 2 update for the same devices. New Android 16 firmware for the Pixel phones is full of bugs and issues. However, it also brings a handful of new features for the Android phones, especially for the foldable smartphones. According to the reports, the Android 16 update will offer a “robust open/close detection” feature for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold model.
“Robust open/close detection” will help Pixel 9 Pro Fold more accurately detect if it’s open or closed
According to 9to5Google, the Android 16 version might make Google’s foldable phones better at knowing whether they’re open or closed. The report says that many Pixel 9 Pro Fold users running Android 16 Beta 2 have started receiving a notification that prompts them to turn on a feature called “robust open/close detection”. This function aims to help foldable smartphones work better with magnetic accessories.
“If you’re using a magnetic accessory, turn on robust open/close detection in Settings. This helps your Pixel Fold more accurately detect if it’s open or closed”, reads the notification. As per the source, the notification comes from the Pixel System service, and has a button labeled “Turn on”. Apart from the foldable Pixel phones, this feature will be available on all other foldable Android smartphones in Android 16.
Foldable smartphones utilize the hall (effect) sensors to determine whether they’re in the open or closed state. As 9to5Google notes, magnetic accessories can confuse foldable smartphones. Touching a magnet to the surface of a Pixel Fold/Pixel 9 Pro Fold or other foldable smartphones can cause its screen to briefly turn off. Android 16’s upcoming “robust open/close detection” feature will seemingly address this problem though it’s not clear how.
The new Android 16 feature doesn’t do anything yet
As of now, the Android 16 Beta 2’s “robust open/close detection” doesn’t seem to be doing anything yet. The notification in the latest beta version doesn’t turn the settings on. You will not find this functionality in the Pixel Fold phone’s Settings app yet. Google seems to be redying the new feature and will enable it in the next Android 16 beta update.
It’s worth mentioning that the foldable phones will eventually adopt the MagSafe-like Qi2 standard. It will introduce a lot more magnets to the mix. Then, the “robust open/close detection” feature will come in handy to help foldable phones determine their open or closed state. We will know more about the new functionality in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for regular updates.