### {{data_connect_short}} version 16.0.0-beta03 {: #data-connect_v16-0-0-beta03}

* {{changed}} Requires Data Connect emulator version 1.6.1 or later for code generation.

* {{feature}} QueryRef and MutationRef gain methods copy(), withDataDeserializer(),
  and withVariablesSerializer().
  (GitHub [#6424](//github.com/firebase/firebase-android-sdk/issues/6424){: .external})

* {{feature}} GeneratedConnector gains methods copy(), operations(), queries(),
  and mutations().
  (GitHub [#6424](//github.com/firebase/firebase-android-sdk/issues/6424){: .external})

* {{feature}} GeneratedQuery and GeneratedMutation gain methods copy(),
  withVariablesSerializer(), and withDataDeserializer().
  (GitHub [#6424](//github.com/firebase/firebase-android-sdk/issues/6424){: .external})

* {{feature}} GeneratedConnector, GeneratedQuery, and GeneratedMutation now
  must implement equals() to be a _logical_ comparsion, rather than just
  checking for _referencial_ equality using the `===` operator.
  (GitHub [#6424](//github.com/firebase/firebase-android-sdk/issues/6424){: .external})

* {{feature}} ExperimentalFirebaseDataConnect annotation added, and some
  APIs have been annotated with it, requiring applications that make use of
  these experimental APIs to opt-in using
  `@OptIn(ExperimentalFirebaseDataConnect::class)` to suppress warnings or
  errors related to using these experimental APIs.
  (GitHub [#6424](//github.com/firebase/firebase-android-sdk/issues/6424){: .external}) and
  (GitHub [#6433](//github.com/firebase/firebase-android-sdk/issues/6433){: .external})

* {{changed}} Replaced java.util.Date with
  com.google.firebase.dataconnect.LocalDate.
  (GitHub [#6434](//github.com/firebase/firebase-android-sdk/issues/6434){: .external})