Introduction
The Galaxy Note 7 launched on August 19, 2016, running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with Samsung’s Grace UX skin. Three days later, Google released Android 7.0 Nougat. By the time the Note 7 was recalled — twice — and permanently discontinued in October 2016, Nougat’s multi-window, quick switch, and notification overhaul were features Samsung users would have to wait months to experience on replacement S7 Edges. The symbolism was hard to miss: Samsung’s hardware was literally exploding while Google’s software was having its most productive year.
Android 7.0 Nougat was officially released on August 22, 2016, with 7.1 following on October 4, 2016 alongside the Pixel and Pixel XL.
Nougat was Android’s productivity release. Multi-window brought split-screen to phones. Quick Switch made app switching instant. Bundled notifications made the notification shade legible. And seamless updates — borrowed from Chrome OS — promised to end the “Android takes 20 minutes to update” era. The iPhone 7 Plus cost $769. The Pixel XL cost $769. For the first time, Google was pricing Android at iPhone levels, and Nougat had to justify that price.
Quick Facts
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Version | Android 7.0 – 7.1.2 |
| Codename | Nougat |
| API Level | 24 (7.0), 25 (7.1) |
| Release Date | Aug 22, 2016 (7.0) / Oct 4, 2016 (7.1) |
| Linux Kernel | 4.4 |
| Initial Device | LG V20 (7.0) / Pixel & Pixel XL (7.1) |
| Previous Version | Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Next Version | Android 8.0 Oreo |
What’s New
Multi-Window (Split-Screen)
Nougat brought native split-screen to phones — two apps side by side (or top/bottom in portrait), independently scrollable and interactive. Samsung and LG had offered split-screen since 2013 in their custom skins, but Nougat made it a platform standard with a consistent API.
Split-screen worked in two modes: split-screen (fixed division, user-adjustable) and picture-in-picture (PiP, for video — Android TV only in 7.0, phones got PiP in Oreo). Apps could declare minimum dimensions and opt out of multi-window, though most simply worked because Nougat handled window resizing at the framework level.
It was useful — maps above, messages below; YouTube above, Twitter below — but not transformative. The phone screen was too small for comfortable split-screen work, and many apps weren’t designed for the half-screen layout. Multi-window was a feature you’d use occasionally, not daily. Android tablets benefited more, though Android tablets were in decline by 2016.
Quick Switch (Double-Tap Recents)
Double-tapping the Recents button (or swiping twice on the Overview button in gesture nav) instantly switched to the last-used app. No animations, no list scrolling — immediate, muscle-memory switching between two apps.
This was a workflow optimization that power users immediately adopted and casual users rarely discovered. Combined with split-screen, it made Nougat the most multitasking-friendly Android version to date.
Bundled Notifications
Nougat grouped notifications from the same app into expandable bundles. A single Gmail notification showed “3 new messages”; expanding it revealed individual message previews. No more notification shade filled with a dozen separate cards from the same app.
Individual notifications within a bundle could be expanded, actioned, or dismissed independently. The grouping was automatic based on app and notification channel (formally introduced in Oreo, but the grouping logic was Nougat’s).
Inline Notification Replies
Nougat let users reply to messages directly from the notification shade — type a response in a text field embedded in the notification, hit send, and keep scrolling. No app switch required. This was Android’s answer to iOS 10’s similar feature (launched a month later), and it was implemented better: Android’s inline reply worked with any messaging app that implemented the API, while iOS was limited to iMessage.
Seamless Updates (A/B Partitioning)
Nougat introduced Chrome OS-style A/B system partitions. The device maintained two system partitions: one active, one idle. OS updates installed to the idle partition in the background while the device was in use. A reboot swapped partitions, and the update was applied in seconds rather than the 10–20 minute “Android is upgrading” optimization screen.
Seamless updates also provided rollback protection: if an update failed to boot, the device automatically reverted to the previous working partition.
The catch: seamless updates required hardware support (dual system partitions), and only devices that shipped with Nougat could implement it. Existing devices upgrading from Marshmallow were stuck with the old update method. Adoption was slow, particularly among Samsung and other OEMs who didn’t want to sacrifice storage for a second system partition.
Data Saver
Data Saver restricted background data usage system-wide, with per-app whitelisting for apps that needed unrestricted access. Combined with the per-app data usage controls from ICS, Nougat gave users comprehensive control over cellular data consumption.
For users on metered plans in emerging markets, Data Saver reduced monthly data consumption by 15–30% in Google’s internal testing.
User Interface Changes
- Notification redesign: Bundled notifications, inline replies, and a cleaner card design with more information density.
- Quick Settings customization: Users could rearrange Quick Settings tiles. Custom tiles from third-party apps were supported via the
TileServiceAPI. - Settings app: A slide-out navigation drawer and suggested settings at the top made the Settings app less daunting.
- Display size: A new system-wide display scaling setting (smaller/larger) adjusted UI density independently of resolution.
- Night Light: A blue-light filter for evening reading (Pixel only in 7.1, expanded to AOSP in later releases).
Performance Improvements
- JIT/AOT hybrid compiler: Nougat introduced a hybrid runtime that combined JIT compilation (for fast installs and profiling) with AOT compilation (for frequently-used code paths). This eliminated Lollipop/Marshmallow’s long install times while maintaining ART’s runtime performance.
- Vulkan API: Vulkan replaced OpenGL ES as Android’s low-overhead 3D graphics API, offering better multithreading and lower CPU overhead. Games that targeted Vulkan (like Vainglory and Need for Speed: No Limits) saw 10–30% GPU performance improvements.
- Doze on the Go: Doze mode was extended — devices now entered a lighter Doze state even when in motion (in a pocket or bag), not just when stationary. This improved battery life during daytime use.
Security Improvements
- File-based encryption: Nougat introduced file-based encryption (FBE) alongside the existing full-disk encryption (FDE). FBE encrypted individual files with different keys, enabling features like Direct Boot — the device could boot to the lock screen and receive calls/alarms before the user entered their PIN.
- Direct Boot: Apps could access limited storage before the user unlocked the device, enabling alarm clocks, accessibility services, and emergency calling after a reboot.
- Verified Boot hardened: Verified Boot was extended to detect and warn about modified bootloaders and kernel images.
- Network Security Config: Apps could declare custom trust anchors, certificate pinning, and cleartext traffic policies via a declarative XML configuration file.
Developer Features
| API Level | Key Additions |
|---|---|
| 24 (7.0) | Multi-window, bundled notifications, inline reply, Quick Settings TileService, Vulkan, JIT/AOT hybrid compiler, Data Saver APIs, VR mode (VRListenerService, sustained performance mode), OpenJDK 8 language features |
| 25 (7.1) | App shortcuts (launcher), round icon assets, image keyboard support, new emoji (including professional emoji with skin tone and gender variants) |
App shortcuts were a 7.1 exclusive that Pixel phones used to great effect: long-press the camera icon to jump directly to video mode or selfie mode. iOS had added 3D Touch quick actions with iPhone 6S; Android’s long-press implementation was less hardware-dependent and more widely compatible.
Devices That Shipped With Nougat
- LG V20 — The first phone to ship with 7.0. 5.7-inch 1440p IPS + secondary ticker display, Snapdragon 820, 4 GB RAM, dual rear cameras, removable battery, Quad DAC. The last flagship with a removable battery.
- Google Pixel & Pixel XL — The first Pixel phones. 5.0/5.5-inch 1080p/1440p AMOLED, Snapdragon 821, 4 GB RAM, 12.3 MP camera (DxOMark highest score ever at launch). Shipped with 7.1 and exclusive features (Pixel Launcher, Google Assistant, Night Light, unlimited Google Photos original-quality backup).
- Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+ — Launched with 7.0 and Samsung Experience (replacing TouchWiz). 5.8/6.2-inch 1440p Super AMOLED, Snapdragon 835 / Exynos 8895, 4 GB RAM. The debut of Samsung’s “Infinity Display” with minimal bezels. Sold 41 million units.
- OnePlus 3T — Launched with 6.0, updated to 7.0/7.1.1. Snapdragon 821, 6 GB RAM, $439. The value champion of 2016.
Comparison With Marshmallow
| Android 6.0 Marshmallow | Android 7.0-7.1 Nougat |
|---|---|
| Single-window only | Split-screen multi-window |
| App switching via Recents | Quick Switch (double-tap) |
| Flat notification list | Bundled notifications with inline replies |
| Traditional updates | Seamless A/B updates (new devices) |
| Doze (stationary only) | Doze on the Go |
| Full-disk encryption | File-based encryption + Direct Boot |
| OpenGL ES 3.x only | Vulkan API |
| API Level 23 | API Levels 24–25 |
Nougat was Marshmallow’s productivity upgrade — better multitasking, smarter notifications, more efficient background processing. Nothing as revolutionary as runtime permissions, but dozens of improvements that made daily Android use faster and more efficient.
Legacy and Impact
Nougat’s multi-window and bundled notifications became Android staples. Quick Switch was a small feature that power users loved. Seamless updates, while slow to be adopted by OEMs, eventually became standard on devices that take Android seriously — Pixels, OnePlus, Nokia, and (recently) Samsung.
The Pixel launch was Nougat’s real legacy. Android 7.1 shipped on Google’s first self-branded consumer phone, with exclusive features that wouldn’t reach other devices for months. This was a strategic shift: Google was no longer just providing reference software; it was building a vertically integrated iPhone competitor, and Nougat was the software half of that equation.
The hybrid JIT/AOT compiler also proved that Google could iterate on core runtime technology without disrupting the ecosystem. ART’s third major iteration (Dalvik → AOT → JIT/AOT hybrid) balanced install speed, runtime performance, and storage efficiency better than any previous Android runtime.
End of Support
- Google Play Services: Support for Nougat (API 24+) continues but is waning.
- Security updates: No official patches since 2019 (Pixel), 2020 (Samsung flagships).
- Seamless updates: Legacy devices that upgraded from Marshmallow never got A/B partitions — only devices that shipped with Nougat benefited.
Fun Facts
- Why “Nougat”? The name continued the N dessert sequence. Internally, it was “New York Cheesecake” (NYC) before the Nougat name was finalized. The Building 44 statue was a Nougat bar with Android bugdroids embedded.
- Easter egg: The Nougat easter egg was an Android Neko (cat) collector game. Tapping the Android version, then long-pressing the N logo, activated a cat-collecting mini-game where cats appeared in your notification shade and could be named and shared.
- Pixel exclusives: Google Assistant, Pixel Launcher, Night Light, unlimited Google Photos backup, and the round icon set were all Pixel-exclusive 7.1 features. The fragmentation between “Android” and “Pixel Android” began here and has only grown.
- LG V20’s DAC: The V20’s Quad DAC (ESS Sabre ES9218) made it the best-sounding smartphone in history at the time. Audiophile forums still lament that no modern flagship offers comparable wired audio quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What API level is Nougat?
API Level 24 (7.0), Level 25 (7.1).
What is seamless update?
Seamless update installs to a secondary system partition while you use the phone, then applies in seconds on reboot. It requires dual system partitions and was introduced in Nougat for devices that shipped with it.
Did Nougat support split-screen on all apps?
Most apps worked automatically. Apps could opt out or declare minimum dimensions, but Nougat’s framework handled window resizing. Some apps looked awkward at half height, but nothing broke catastrophically.
What’s the difference between Pixel and Nexus?
Pixel is Google’s premium consumer phone brand (launched 2016, priced at iPhone levels). Nexus was Google’s developer/reference phone program (2010–2015, priced at value levels). Pixel phones get exclusive software features; Nexus phones got stock Android with no exclusives.
Final Thoughts
Nougat was Android’s most productive release since Jelly Bean. Multi-window, bundled notifications, inline replies, Quick Switch, Data Saver, and seamless updates made Android more capable for people who used their phones as tools rather than toys. The Pixel launch marked Google’s shift from platform steward to product company.
Not every feature landed. Picture-in-picture was delayed to Oreo for phones. Seamless updates took years to achieve meaningful adoption. And many of the best 7.1 features were Pixel-exclusive, creating a two-tier Android that frustrated non-Pixel users.
But Nougat was polished, stable, and genuinely better than Marshmallow in daily use. It set the standard for the annual Android release cadence: not revolutionary, but reliably improved.
Related Articles
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow: Complete Guide
- Android 8.0 Oreo: Complete Guide
- Google Pixel & Pixel XL: Launch Retrospective
- Android’s Multitasking Evolution
- Seamless Updates: A/B Partitioning Explained
References
- Official Android 7.0 / 7.1 Platform Highlights
- Android Developers Blog: “Android 7.0 Nougat” (August 2016)
- Google Pixel launch event, October 4, 2016
- LG V20, Samsung Galaxy S8 product documentation
- Vulkan API specification and Android integration
- File-based encryption technical documentation (source.android.com)