Google releases Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 with tons of bug fixes

Aadil Raval
4 Min Read
Highlights
  • Google releases yet another update dubbed Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 with a few bug fixes.
  • It rolls out across Pixel 6 and later offering fixes to notification display, full phone reboot, and others.
  • It is in-line with the progression that Google follows before launching the Android OS officially alongside Pixel devices, say on August 20.

Earlier on Thursday, Google released Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3, the last of the upgrades over OTA and a patch above Beta 2.1 before it progresses towards the next stage of updates. The search engine giant fixed certain issues that the last OS version faced, including notifications display, missing status bar icons, etc., that we will get to in a bit. Here’s everything that we have on the new Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3.

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 released across the Pixel lineup

Google’s release note mentions a lot about the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3. The subtle update fixes a lot of issues that the last Beta 2.1 faced across the Pixel lineup. For starters, Google has fixed several notifications-related issues, including ghost overlay. The disappearing taskbar on Pixel Fold and Google bar on other Pixel devices has been fixed as well.

The changelog further mentions fixes to issues related to player cutting off from the lock screen, progress bar missing, and non-functional controls on the mini player in the status bar, to name a few. Google has fixed the issue #427676713 that triggered phone restart due to a class loader issue. Some impending Kernel-based issues have been fixed as well, all of which you can read here. 

Onboarding new features

It’s not all about the fixes, but some features have popped up too. The Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 added “magnify keyboard”, a feature that lets users zoom into the keyboard to see letters and emojis when they are using full-screen magnification. It can be enabled via Settings >> Accessibility >> Magnification. This was a part of the Android Canary release, and reports suggest we could see it as a part and parcel of stable QPR1 as it arrives soon.

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 Magnify Keyboard feature
Image Credits: Android Authority

Moving on, we have a new shortcut that lets users pin or unpin apps from the taskbar. It is located in the context menu when you press the app icon for a sufficient time. It works in the Desktop Mode only, or when you are connected to a larger screen. A few features that were discussed in the Android Canary update are yet to see the light of day, including a 90:10 split-screen ratio, lock screen widget page with an unblurred wallpaper, Parental Controls menu, enhanced HDR brightness, etc.

List of Android 16 QPR1 compatible phones

It’s a no-brainer, you have an obvious set of devices that are in line for Android 16 QPR1 via OTA before other OEMs could release their beta versions.

  • Google Pixel 6 Series
  • Google Pixel 7 Series
  • Google Pixel Fold
  • Google Pixel Tablet
  • Google Pixel 8 Series
  • Google Pixel 9a 
  • Google Pixel 9 Series

Google Pixel 10 Series is due to arrive on August 20, and as it goes, the series will pick up Android 15 out of the box and will be upgradable to Android 16. You are actually covered for seven years of major Android OS upgrades on all the latest Pixel devices. Pixel 6 is probably getting its last share of upgrade this year.

Share This Article
Follow:
A wordsmith, a kin tech observer, a sci-fi fanatic and a scientific documentary buff.
Highlights
  • Google releases yet another update dubbed Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 with a few bug fixes.
  • It rolls out across Pixel 6 and later offering fixes to notification display, full phone reboot, and others.
  • It is in-line with the progression that Google follows before launching the Android OS officially alongside Pixel devices, say on August 20.

Earlier on Thursday, Google released Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3, the last of the upgrades over OTA and a patch above Beta 2.1 before it progresses towards the next stage of updates. The search engine giant fixed certain issues that the last OS version faced, including notifications display, missing status bar icons, etc., that we will get to in a bit. Here’s everything that we have on the new Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3.

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 released across the Pixel lineup

Google’s release note mentions a lot about the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3. The subtle update fixes a lot of issues that the last Beta 2.1 faced across the Pixel lineup. For starters, Google has fixed several notifications-related issues, including ghost overlay. The disappearing taskbar on Pixel Fold and Google bar on other Pixel devices has been fixed as well.

The changelog further mentions fixes to issues related to player cutting off from the lock screen, progress bar missing, and non-functional controls on the mini player in the status bar, to name a few. Google has fixed the issue #427676713 that triggered phone restart due to a class loader issue. Some impending Kernel-based issues have been fixed as well, all of which you can read here. 

Onboarding new features

It’s not all about the fixes, but some features have popped up too. The Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 added “magnify keyboard”, a feature that lets users zoom into the keyboard to see letters and emojis when they are using full-screen magnification. It can be enabled via Settings >> Accessibility >> Magnification. This was a part of the Android Canary release, and reports suggest we could see it as a part and parcel of stable QPR1 as it arrives soon.

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 Magnify Keyboard feature
Image Credits: Android Authority

Moving on, we have a new shortcut that lets users pin or unpin apps from the taskbar. It is located in the context menu when you press the app icon for a sufficient time. It works in the Desktop Mode only, or when you are connected to a larger screen. A few features that were discussed in the Android Canary update are yet to see the light of day, including a 90:10 split-screen ratio, lock screen widget page with an unblurred wallpaper, Parental Controls menu, enhanced HDR brightness, etc.

List of Android 16 QPR1 compatible phones

It’s a no-brainer, you have an obvious set of devices that are in line for Android 16 QPR1 via OTA before other OEMs could release their beta versions.

  • Google Pixel 6 Series
  • Google Pixel 7 Series
  • Google Pixel Fold
  • Google Pixel Tablet
  • Google Pixel 8 Series
  • Google Pixel 9a 
  • Google Pixel 9 Series

Google Pixel 10 Series is due to arrive on August 20, and as it goes, the series will pick up Android 15 out of the box and will be upgradable to Android 16. You are actually covered for seven years of major Android OS upgrades on all the latest Pixel devices. Pixel 6 is probably getting its last share of upgrade this year.

Share This Article
Follow:
A wordsmith, a kin tech observer, a sci-fi fanatic and a scientific documentary buff.