Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 with Material 3 Expressive is already on Google Pixel

The Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 operating system is already available for Google Pixel smartphones. Many changes and features of «have been analyzed by specialized reviewers, and ITC.ua has collected them together.

The Android 16 preview includes the new Material 3 Expressive design, officially introduced recently — owners of Pixel 6 and later smartphones who participate in the beta program can finally try it out for themselves The beta version significantly changes notification panel, quick settings, lock screen, and much more. The design of Material 3 has also changed slightly. Google officially states that QPR1 is suitable for general use.

Redesign of notifications

A large «Clear All» button now appears in the middle, and shortcuts to your notification history and settings appear on the left and right, respectively. The shortcut buttons disappear when there are no notifications.

By default, the lock screen displays only one notification with the other notifications minimized below it. This is called «Compact view», where the new option «Full list» will display a few notifications and place the rest in the list of icons. The minimization animations for notifications have also changed.

Redesign of quick settings

For the most part, Quick Settings has remained unchanged since the Android 12 redesign. In the Android 16 beta, Google is redesigning Quick Settings on the Pixel, adding resizable tiles and background blur.

The fully open interface shows eight large tiles. The Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 Quick Settings panel starts with an updated brightness slider that uses a rectangular Material You bar with a prominent slider.

When tiles are inactive, they are shaped like a pill. Turning them on changes them into rounded rectangles and squares. You can now resize them — shrink them so that they take up half the space without a caption. Google has grouped the available tiles into the categories of Connectivity, Utilities, Display, Privacy, Accessibility, System, and Preinstalled.

Mode «Do not disturb» one touch

The toggle is gone in Android 15 — users need to tap on the «Modes» shortcut and then select «Do Not Disturb». The updated Quick Settings interface offers an additional tap on the icon itself, which immediately turns off «Do Not Disturb».

The same change has been applied to the Bluetooth switch. Clicking on the icon simply turns it on or off.

More space for program icons

Google has reduced the size of the At a Glance widget on Pixel smartphones. This frees up an extra line on the home screen for other widgets and app icons. The update emphasizes this change during download and installation with a separate pop-up window.

Pixel users have been clamoring for years for the ability to turn this and the widget off, as it takes up a significant portion of the top half of the home screen. Shrinking it down is a compromise that extends the user experience. It is also smaller on the lock screen — in the new OS, users will be able to place their own widgets there, so the space will not hurt.

Fingerprint management

The option to verify registered fingerprints has been added to the developer settings. Clicking on it launches a screen with a black background, a fingerprint icon, and a request to touch it. Clicking closes this page and highlights the corresponding fingerprint in the list.

If the registered fingerprints do not have clear names, it will also help to identify a specific one. Previously, this would have required deleting the fingerprint and adding it again, which could make verification difficult in some programs.

A magical portrait

The new option in the Pixel wallpaper app appears when you tap the lock screen preview in the app and select effects. The system analyzes the lock screen wallpaper and automatically suggests a frame that you can change the shape and color of.

Instead of a frame, the option allows you to apply a weather effect to the image (similar to the Samsung Live Effect option in One UI 6.1.1).

Simplify the use of a split screen

Screen splitting between apps in Android is not very intuitive, especially for beginners. It is often hidden in the context menu, which the user may not even realize exists. To access this menu, you need to tap and hold the app icon on the recent apps screen — a gesture that lacks a clear visual cue.

In Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, Google is making the context menu for each app more visible. Previously, only the app icon was displayed above the task, but now there is an app icon, its name, and a downward arrow. tapping it brings up the desired menu with several actions, including splitting.

Setting the clock on the lock screen

The new wallpaper app offers a slider to edit the size of the clock on the lock screen — albeit only the default one for now. This is the only clock that uses a «reactive» font, which allows for dynamic customization. Perhaps Google will create other similar clocks, or third-party developers will do it.

Ambient AOD

A noticeable aspect of the new design is the use of background blur — in the notification panel, quick settings, recent menu, and app drawer. Displaying the lock screen wallpaper on the always-on display isn’t new — Google introduced it in 2018 and then removed it. Now you can see a blurry wallpaper on the always-on screen instead of a black background.

There are many more aesthetic changes in the build that do not affect functionality. There are also some improvements to the interface of foldable devices, including the lock screen of tablets and the display of the list of running apps on foldable phones.

Sources: Android Authority, 9to5Google