Google has started rolling out the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 update. In other words, the company started pushing out a preview of the next Pixel Drop… and yes, it does give you a taste of Material 3 Expressive revamp.
Google talked about Material 3 Expressive last week, and Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 is now available
Google showed us plenty of Material 3 Expressive revamp during its pre-event Android Show last week. The company did leave one rather exciting move for Google I/O 2025. Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 started rolling out during the show.
Pixel users who are enrolled in the Android beta program can get this update. It is now rolling out to Pixel phones ranging from the Pixel 6 series and up. I’ll leave a full list in the next paragraph.
Android beta program users who are using one of the following devices can get this update: Pixel 6, 6a, 6 Pro, 7, 7a, 7 Pro, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, Pixel 8, 8a, 8 Pro, 9, 9a, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold.
If you’re not a member of the Android beta program, you can install the update yourself
You can also install it yourself, if you want. Google has made this release available in the form of a Generic System Image (GSI). We would not recommend messing with that if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, though.
Android 16 QPR1 is expected to drop in June, a stable version of it, that is. As I said at the beginning of the article, this is essentially a preview of what you’ll get then. If you’re not ready to face some bugs, however, you may want to stay away from this update. It has the ‘Beta 1’ tag for a reason. Do note that full Material 3 Expressive revamp is coming later in the year.
