[Codename-11]

Summary

Prepare Hermes-Relay Android 1.16.1 as a focused patch for the remaining Dashboard-only cold-start Gateway wait reported in #495 and #528.

Changes

• Bump Hermes-Relay Android to 1.16.1 (versionCode 56).
• Promote only the Gateway directory-bootstrap fix from Unreleased.
• Refresh schema-3 What's New, Play notes, listing notes, and the GitHub release body for September 12, 2026.
• Keep Hermes-Relay Plugin 1.11.2 and CLI+UI 0.4.0-beta.7 unchanged.

Verification

• python scripts/android-prepush.py --release-prep — passed, including rendered Changelog History and What's New toast tests.
• python scripts/check-android-locales.py — 12 catalogs passed.
• python scripts/check-android-collection-apis.py — passed.
• python scripts/check-version-tracks.py — passed; Android 1.16.1/code 56, Plugin 1.11.2, CLI+UI 0.4.0-beta.7.
• python scripts/check-android-release-notes.py — passed.
• python scripts/check-privacy-policy.py — passed.
• python -m unittest scripts.tests.check_android_release_notes_test — 8 tests passed.
• git diff --check — passed.
• Post-merge Android CI for the fix passed on c27ee439ef746582fafb864958dfb8857a2fa535 (run 34695004594).

Screenshots

No visual change.

Compatibility / risk

This patch changes only Android release metadata. The implementation already merged through #578 and preserves the upstream Dashboard/Gateway path without requiring the optional Hermes-Relay Plugin.

Physical LAN/Tailscale phone validation is unavailable and is not claimed. Exact-head CI, private signed Play preflight, DEX/native scans, and immutable-artifact reuse remain required before publication.

Lineage / contributor credit

• Source PR(s): fix(android): release Gateway directory bootstrap #578
• Attribution preserved by: the merged implementation history remains unchanged; this PR contains release metadata only.

Checklist

• Target branch is dev, unless this is a dev → main release PR or a focused production-tag hotfix PR to main
• Scope is focused and related issues/PRs are linked
• Android changes: release-prep presentation tests passed; exact-head CI remains required
• Translation changes: N/A; locale validation passed
• Server/plugin changes: N/A; Plugin 1.11.2 is unchanged
• Desktop changes: N/A; CLI+UI 0.4.0-beta.7 is unchanged
• Docs/site changes: generated Play listing notes validated
• UI changes were tested on a relevant device/emulator/desktop surface, or the missing proof is stated above
• Commit messages follow Conventional Commits
• CHANGELOG.md is updated for user-visible changes
• Public writing hygiene checked: no secrets, private infrastructure, personal names, or AI/process narration
• Salvaged/replacement work links source PRs and preserves contributor authorship, or N/A