Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 is Here

Google quietly released the first beta of the next major Android 16 update, called Quarterly Preview Release 3 (QPR3). Like its predecessors, it delivers some useful improvements, including a few I’ve wanted for many years.

Oddly, there’s no official announcement that I can find. But I’ve enrolled the Pixel 10 Pro XL in the Android beta, so I did install this update. And based on what I see here, and on several Android blogs, here’s what’s new in this release. Starting with the two features I’ve been asking about for years.

At a Glance improvements. You can finally remove Google’s redundant and space-stealing At a Glance widget from the Home screen (while keeping it on the Lock screen, if wanted, where it’s actually useful).

Flashlight improvements. The iPhone has long supported a flash-based flashlight feature with variable lighting, and in recent iOS releases, you can also customize the width of the light. I’ve always wanted this feature on Pixel, and it’s finally happening: You can now press and hold on the Flashlight quick setting in the notification shade to adjust the flashlight strength.

Location improvements. Google previously added a green icon to the status bar to indicate when an app is using your camera or microphone. With QPR3, Android 16 will now display the name of that app in the notification shade. And it will now display a blue icon in the status bar whenever an app is tracking your location, along with identifying the app in the notification shade. That way, you can disable those permissions if desired.

Other Home screen improvements. There’s a subtle new animation when you open a Home screen folder. And when you customize the Home screen, the Themed icons option has been renamed to Minimal.

Samsung navigation option. If you use a Samsung phone, you may be used to the company’s navigation button layout (Recents, Home, and Back from left to right), which is different from the standard layout (Back, Home, Recents). In QPR3, both layout styles are available if you choose button-based navigation now. (Though most are better off with gesture navigation at this point.)

Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 is available on supported Pixel devices and in emulation via Android Studio for developers.