Your Phone's Quick Replies And Smart Actions Could Get A Whole Lot More Helpful With Android 16

Contents

Magic Actions could debut alongside AI-powered notification summaries

Summary

Android 16 may introduce “Magic Actions,” an AI-enhanced replacement for the current Smart Actions in notifications and messaging apps, potentially powered by Google’s Gemini model.
Magic Actions aim to provide more intelligent and contextually relevant suggestions and shortcuts, offering examples like opening music links in specific apps or tracking delayed packages directly from the notification.
While the release timeline is unclear, Magic Actions could debut alongside other anticipated AI-driven notification upgrades in Android 16, such as AI-powered summaries.

Your Android device is great at anticipating your needs. No, it can’t telepathically detect that you’re hungry and order food for you (yet), but it surely can recommend relevant suggestions depending on what’s happening on your screen.

The smart reply chips you see under notifications and above the Google Messages text box are a prime example of such Smart Actions. Not only do they make it easier to reply to messages, they can also offer contextual shortcuts relevant to the content of the message.

Google supercharged Gmail’s dedicated smart replies with Gemini back in September 2024, and it looks like the tech giant is now determined to bring the AI tool’s capabilities all across the board.

Android 16 is shaping up to be a big upgrade. From Material 3’s Expressive UI changes to Advanced Protection’s enhanced security features, there’s a lot to look forward to with Android 16. Now, you might want to add a more intelligent and contextually aware Smart Action feature to the list.

As explained by credible Android expert Mishaal Rahman in a report for Android Authority, code found within an Android 16 beta build indicates that Google is developing an enhanced version of Smart Actions, internally (and potentially even publicly once it rolls out) known as ‘Magic Actions.’

Magic Actions could debut alongside AI-powered notification summaries

The Google Pixel 9a on a green table in a park outside, with the display on and facing up

The current Smart Actions implementation is great. It gives relevant reply suggestions, and highlights shortcuts like Google Maps when a message contains an address or a location. However, said reply suggestions are often short and not necessarily personalized, while app shortcuts only offer simple actions. Magic Actions could tackle this limitation by tapping into a bespoke Gemini model.

While the exact improvements the new system might bring remain under wraps, the unearthed code suggests that Magic Actions will directly replace Smart Actions. When enabled, the former will supersede the latter, reportedly highlighting a dedicated Magic Action ‘button.’ Code also indicates that the button would receive “special visual treatment,” and tapping could likely highlight several relevant actions.

For example, if a friend sends you the link to a new song on Google Messages, the current Smart Actions implementation would highlight relevant replies like ‘Thanks for sharing,’ ‘👍🏻,’ or potentially even ‘I’ll check it out.’ The same message with Magic Actions enabled could offer shortcuts to ‘Open in Spotify,’ or even ‘Add to YouTube Music playlist.’

Similarly, in the case of a ‘delayed package’ notification, Magic Actions could highlight options like “Track package” or “contact support.”

It isn’t entirely clear if and when Google intends to roll out the Magic Action’s intelligent notification interactions. For what it’s worth, Google is also working on Apple-esque AI-powered notification summaries, which are reported to land with a subsequent Android 16 build later in the year. It would make sense for Magic Actions to tag along and debut alongside the summaries, essentially offering an AI-driver overhaul of Android notifications.