Android 16 QPR1 rolls out: Pixel devices get Material You refresh, new features, and security fixes

Android 16 QPR1 Arrives: Pixel Devices Embrace Material 3 Expressive Design and a Wealth of New Features

Google has rolled out a substantial update, Android 16 QPR1, to its Pixel devices, ushering in a visually refreshed user experience powered by the expressive Material 3 design language. This significant release coincides with the September 2025 Feature Drop, bringing a suite of enhancements and crucial security patches to users.

A Bold New Look for the Lock Screen and Status Bar

The most striking transformation is evident on the lock screen. Gone are the days of cramped layouts; the date, day of the week, and weather now elegantly reside beneath the prominent clock or gracefully shift to the right when notifications are present. This minimalist approach extends to the status bar, where the icons for Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity have swapped positions and adopted a sophisticated segmented design, offering a cleaner visual cue.

Revolutionizing Quick Settings: More Power, More Control

The Quick Settings menu has undergone a radical overhaul, becoming a powerhouse of customization. Users can now scale tiles, opting for a streamlined icon-only view that liberates screen real estate. The grid has expanded significantly, moving from a 2x4 layout to a more accommodating 4x4, accommodating up to 16 tiles. A single downward swipe now reveals eight tiles alongside notifications, providing immediate access to essential functions. The visual transition of tiles has also been refined, morphing from pill shapes into rounded rectangles upon selection. Tapping the left side of Bluetooth and Modes tiles now offers a swift toggle for their respective functions. Moreover, the 'Edit tiles' page has been meticulously reorganized into intuitive categories – Connectivity, Utilities, Display, Privacy, Accessibility, System Apps, and User Apps – with a clear 'Reset' button conveniently located at the bottom.

Multimedia Controls and Visual Enhancements

The media playback panel receives a thoughtful update with distinct icons for pause (rectangular) and play (pill-shaped). The overall theme has been infused with more vibrant hues, injecting a sense of dynamism into the interface. Similar to the brightness slider, the volume slider now utilizes a new Material 3 component, complete with a visual representation of an audio wave when music is playing, offering a delightful sensory feedback loop. The 'Sound & Vibration' settings page has also been modernized, boasting a more structured and contemporary layout.

Smarter Notifications and Widget Innovations

Alerts now display the actual application icon on the left, a departure from stylized representations, making identification quicker and more intuitive. Witnessing a single notification being swiped away is now a fluid experience, with other notifications in the list smoothly reacting to the movement. Tapping a chip in the status bar for active calls (whether through the Phone app or Gemini Live) now directs users straight to the notification itself, streamlining interaction. The At a Glance widget in the Pixel Launcher has been cleverly reduced in size, creating valuable space for an additional row of app icons. This widget now offers customizable sizes: Small, Medium, Large, and XL. The search bar at the bottom has been repositioned within a pill-shaped container, and a dedicated circular button for AI Mode (where available) has been added to the right, all while showcasing a fresh, gradient-infused version of the 'G' logo.

Personalization Takes Center Stage with a Redesigned 'Wallpaper & Style'

The 'Wallpaper & style' section has been completely reimagined, offering a wealth of new personalization options. After selecting a wallpaper, users can now choose from five distinct shapes and color palettes. The weather effects have been expanded to include Local, Fog, Rain, Snow, and Sunny conditions, while the captivating Cinematic mode with its 3D motion remains. Clock customization on the lock screen is now more granular, allowing users to select between circular or straight styles and adjust the thickness. Lock screen notifications offer two distinct views: Compact View or the full list. The system's dynamic color capabilities have been significantly amplified, with brighter and more pervasive application across the interface.

Refined Navigation and User Experience

The 'Recents' menu now features a clear pill with the application's icon and name in the top left, which expands into a dropdown menu upon tapping. The 'Settings' app has been made considerably more user-friendly. Every section is now adorned with colorful icons, and pages are neatly organized with containers for grouping options. The 'Sound & Vibration' section has been re-architected for greater logical flow. The overall interface showcases thicker indicators and introduces new toggle switches featuring a checkmark or cross within the slider for enhanced clarity.

Widespread Deployment and Security Fortification

The Android 16 QPR1 update is now rolling out to a broad spectrum of Pixel devices, including the Pixel 6 series (6, 6 Pro, 6a), Pixel 7 series (7, 7 Pro, 7a), Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8 series (8, 8 Pro, 8a), and the latest Pixel 9 series (9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, 9a). While older models like the Pixel 10 series received the September security patch, this QPR1 update is not applicable to them. Users can check for the Over-The-Air (OTA) update by navigating to Settings > System > System update and tapping 'Check for update'. Those currently on Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3.1 will receive a minor update to the final release. The Android Beta Program will continue to be instrumental in testing future QPR updates and Feature Drops. To transition to the stable build from a beta version (Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3+), users will need to opt out of the beta program first; however, this OTA transition will not result in data loss.

Comprehensive Bug Fixes and Security Patches

Google has diligently addressed 24 device-specific bugs across various categories on Pixel devices, including Audio, Battery & Charging, Biometrics, Bluetooth, Camera, Display & Graphics, Framework, Kernel, System, Telephony, and User Interface. The September security patch itself rectifies a total of 68 vulnerabilities (dated 2025-09-01) and 52 vulnerabilities (dated 2025-09-05), with two of these having the potential for exploitation in limited, targeted attacks. Furthermore, an additional 23 security fixes have been released specifically for Google devices, ensuring a robust and secure ecosystem for its users.