Android 16 Arrives: ZenFone 12 Ultra & ROG Phone 9 Get Major Upgrade

Android 16 Officially Lands on Asus ZenFone & ROG Phone

Asus has officially commenced its rollout of the stable Android 16 update for both the ZenFone 12 Ultra and ROG Phone 9. This significant upgrade marks a major milestone for these devices, bringing a wealth of new functionality and enhancements.

What's New in Android 16?

The update, build number 36.0810.1810.43, began rolling out on November 20th and is a substantial download (over 1GB), so we strongly recommend connecting to WiFi.

Here's a breakdown of the key changes:

• System Navigation: Predictive Back animation now works with both back gesture and long-pressing the back button.

• Power Button Customization: Configure quick access to your digital assistant by long-pressing the power button.

• Screen Recording Improvements: Added a skip countdown button to the screen recording feature.

• Quick Info Access: Long-press IMEI or Serial number in About Phone > Status to easily copy the information.

• Bluetooth Call Fix: Resolved an issue where some users experienced no sound during calls with Bluetooth headsets.

• App Compatibility: Note that some third-party apps may not yet be fully compatible with Android 16.

Gaming Enhancements (ROG Phone 9 & ZenFone 12 Ultra): Numerous game profiles have been updated, including improvements for Arena of Valor, Free Fire, Genshin Impact, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and more. AirTrigger and Macro profiles in ROG Instant Master have also received updates for a variety of popular games.

Important Considerations

While Android 16 doesn't introduce a massive overhaul in terms of new features, it focuses on refining the user experience and improving performance.

Please remember that the rollout is happening in batches, so it might take a few days or weeks for the update to reach all users. As always, back up your data and ensure your phone is at least 50% charged before proceeding with the installation.