Latest news with #Android16QPR1
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business Standard
Google releases Android 16 QPR1 beta3 for Pixels: New features, eligibility
Google has reportedly started rolling out the Android 16 Quarterly Platform Release Beta 3 (QPR1) to select Pixel smartphones. This final beta version for Android 16 (QPR1) offers a glimpse at the new features including magnify keyboard and taskbar shortcut, but also miss out on few essential features. The upcoming features are mainly focused on usability, productivity and are expected in the upcoming release scheduled for September 3, 2025. Android Authority shared a list of upgrades that the Android 16 QPR1 is bringing. Here are the details. Magnify keyboard As per the report, a key feature in Beta 3 is a 'magnify keyboard' option which is found under Settings then Accessibility and Magnification. This tool allows users to zoom into the on-screen keyboard to clearly view emojis and letters when using full-screen magnification. It was initially spotted in an Android Canary build earlier this week, its inclusion in Beta 3 suggests it is likely to make it to the final stable version of Android 16 QPR1. Taskbar shortcuts for pinned apps in Desktop Mode Another addition is the ability to quickly pin or unpin apps from the taskbar while using Desktop Mode. Long-pressing an app icon in the app drawer or on the taskbar now shows a context menu with 'pin to taskbar' or 'unpin from taskbar' shortcuts, respectively. These shortcuts are exclusive to devices using Desktop Mode, either on a connected display or the internal display on a tablet. Despite some useful changes, several features from recent Android Canary builds are still not there. These include: Qi2 screen saver features Enhanced HDR brightness option Parental controls menu 90:10 split-screen not available Tablet bubble bar No blurred wallpaper on lock screen How to proceed with the beta The stable version of Android 16 QPR1 is expected on September 3, 2025. However, the QPR2 beta may start before that. If you want the stable update, you should consider unenrolling from the program after receiving Beta 3. Staying enrolled will likely result in your device being automatically updated to the next beta track (QPR2) instead of the stable build.
Android Authority
01-07-2025
- Android Authority
Here's a first look at the Google Personal Safety app's Expressive redesign (APK teardown)
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR An Android Authority teardown has revealed plenty of visual changes coming to the Personal Safety app. These changes are in line with Google's Material 3 Expressive design language and cover the emergency contacts menus. This redesign will likely be exclusive to Android 16 QPR1 for now. Google's Personal Safety app is a one-stop shop for emergencies, allowing you to quickly get help, record video, and much more. Now, it looks like Google is bringing some changes to the app in line with its Material 3 Expressive visual style. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. We dug into a recent version of the Personal Safety app for Android (version 2025.06.12.772866699.3-release) and discovered that it's getting plenty of visual changes. These changes specifically apply to the emergency contacts menus. Check out the screenshots below. Current Current Current New New New There are quite a few Material 3 Expressive changes here, such as bold headers, info fields encased in a white box with dividing lines between each field, and redesigned toggles showing an X or tick. The Add contact option has also changed from a text-based field to a pill-shaped green button. Another notable change, seen in the final screenshot, is that Google will offer a three-dot button for each contact. Tapping this button lets you quickly remove or reorder a contact. By contrast, the current UI gives you an 'X' icon next to each contact so you can quickly remove them. However, reordering your contacts requires you to tap the Reorder button at the top of the page, which then opens a new screen altogether. So the new UI might not be as convenient for removing contacts, but it seems more seamless for reordering them. It's worth noting that this Expressive design will likely be exclusive to Android 16 QPR1, at least for now. That's because this Emergency Contacts functionality is also integrated into the core Android settings via the Safety and Emergency section, and Google is updating this section for Android 16 QPR1. Nevertheless, this would be the latest Google app to get a fresh coat of paint ahead of Android 16 QPR1. These visual changes have already started rolling out to Chrome, Google Messages, the Phone app, and more. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
26-06-2025
- Android Authority
The best Android 16 features that are already live in One UI 8 beta
Joe Maring / Android Authority Android 16 is now available for Pixel phones, although some of the more exciting features won't be ready until the release of Android 16 QPR1 later this year. On the other hand, Samsung's One UI 8 beta, which is based on Android 16, has already surprised us by going live faster than expected and packing some fundamental features that Pixels don't have yet and won't have until QPR1. Of course, One UI 8 beta also has all of Samsung's apps and design language, as well as any new features Samsung develops for itself, but what I'm interested in here are the new Android 16-based features that I was able to try out. Of all the Android 16 features that Samsung has already implemented in One UI 8, these are my three favorites. Do you think One UI 8 is a good update so far? 278 votes Yeah, I like the changes I'm seeing. 40 % It's OK, but I'm curious to see how it progresses in future betas. 30 % No, I was hoping for more change. 23 % Other (let us know in the comments). 8 % Live Updates With One UI 7, Samsung introduced Live Notifications. Like Apple's Live Activities, Live Notifications make important notifications more accessible. Media controls, ongoing timers, Google Maps directions, and more are shown in a bubble to the left of the selfie camera and integrate with the Now Bar. If Samsung phones already have this feature, why are we discussing it now? Google is adding Live Updates — essentially the same feature — to Android 16, with full functionality expected in the QPR1 update later this year. This is a significant development for Samsung users, as there are relatively few third-party apps that support Samsung's Live Notifications in One UI 7, but app developers should have a greater incentive to support the feature when it's available on Android as a whole and not just Samsung phones. 90:10 split-screen Split-screen multitasking has been a feature of Android for years, and it hasn't changed much since its introduction. OnePlus debuted Open Canvas on the OnePlus Open, a new way of multitasking on a foldable that made a lot more sense than anything else we'd tried. Android 16 is using that as inspiration for the 90:10 split. This allows you to collapse one of the apps, so it only takes up 10% of your screen, giving the other app room to breathe. Tapping the smaller app reverses their positions, so you can swap between them as needed. Ironically, Samsung phones are currently the only Android 16 devices that can use this feature, as Google hasn't included it in the stable Android 16 release for Pixels, nor in the current betas for Android 16 QPR1. Hopefully that'll change soon, as I'd love to use this on my Pixel 9 Pro. Advanced Protection Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority Advanced Protection isn't as flashy or cool as the previous two entries, but it is an important addition to Android 16. It's a collection of features designed to keep your phone and data safe. Some of these security features are new, while others have been present in previous versions of Android and are now grouped under Advanced Protection. Existing features, such as Theft Protection Lock, blocking APK installation, Android Safe Browsing, and more, are all enabled when Advanced Protection is activated. New features include a USB Protection mode that defaults new USB connections to charging only while your phone is locked, automatically restarting your phone if it has been left idle for 72 hours, and more. None of that is as exciting as Live Updates, but I'm glad to see it in Android 16. Many of you reading this probably know not to install a dodgy APK from a random website or how to spot a scam call. Many people, however, don't, and enabling all these features on my grandparents' phones with one toggle, allowing me to worry less about them, is something I welcome. Will this completely resolve the spam and malicious software problems in the world? Of course not, but anything that makes combating them easier is a good thing. Android 16 isn't a huge overhaul of Android, but there are still some cool new features that I'm looking forward to trying when they land. I'm just glad I get to try some of them already in One UI 8 beta, which already feels less rushed and less hacked together than One UI 7 did. What are you looking forward to in Android 16 and One UI 8? Let me know in the comments.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
Google confirms developing patch for an ‘old bug' it didn't fix with Android 16: What is it
Google has reportedly left a months-old dark mode bug in the initial release of Android 16. However, the company has now confirmed that it is planning to roll out a fix for the same with the next Pixel Drop. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This issue, which affects the system's dark mode schedule, was introduced in a previous Pixel update release in March. In a developer blog, the company has now confirmed that a solution is in development and is currently being tested in Android 16 QPR1 (Quarterly Platform Release), which will eventually become a Pixel Feature Drop . This comes after Google's Pixel phones received a significant update this week with the launch of Android 16. The update brings enhanced security, new contact features, and improved button navigation, yet this specific dark mode bug was not addressed in the first release. Apart from this bug fix, Google is also expected to release other features like desktop windowing and Material 3 Expressive in the upcoming updates. How is this bug affecting Pixel phone users Android introduced a system-wide dark theme in Android 10 to reduce eye strain in low-light environments. Even with Google's apps gradually adopting dark mode, the support for the same has been reliable for five years now. It includes an option to schedule light/dark transitions based on custom times or sunrise/sunset. However, a bug introduced in March broke scheduling whenever users manually toggle dark mode; restoring it requires recreating the schedule and never toggling again. Initially dismissed as 'intended behaviour,' the glitch is now acknowledged as a valid issue but remains unfixed in the latest Pixel build. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Android 16 QPR1, which is now in its second beta, will become stable in September, bringing desktop windowing and the new Material theme. Yet Google isn't planning to patch dark mode scheduling until after launch. With Android 16 arriving months earlier under Google's new bi-annual update schedule (major in Q2, minor in Q4), several features and fixes are still in progress. As a result, this simple UI bug persists longer than in past release cycles. Android 16 IS HERE! Live Notifications, Tablet Desktop Mode & MORE!
India Today
12-06-2025
- India Today
Google reducing battery life of Pixel 6a with software update, says it has a good reason for it
Google says it will reach out to users who will be impacted by this update It says the update is necessary for safety Google will contact impacted users in July Google will soon release a mandatory software update for certain Pixel 6a smartphones that will reduce the device's battery capacity and charging performance. While the news will certainly disappoint Pixel 6a users, the company claims it has valid reasons for doing so. According to Google, the update will be released to prevent the risk of battery overheating in Pixel 6a devices after extended use. In a statement (via 9to5Google), Google confirmed that it will release a mandatory update for the Pixel 6a that will reduce battery capacity and charging performance after the device's battery reaches 400 charge cycles. Google says the update is necessary for safety and will also introduce new battery management features that kick in once the phone reaches that threshold. 'A subset of Pixel 6a phones will require a mandatory software update to reduce the risk of potential battery overheating,' Google said. 'The update will enable battery management features that will reduce capacity and charging performance after the battery reaches 400 charge cycles. We'll contact impacted customers next month, with all the information they need to address the issue.' However, not all Pixel 6a units will be affected. According to Google, only some 6a devicesâ€'presumably identified based on their battery health or manufacturing batchâ€'will be impacted. The company says it will directly contact affected users in July. However, the actual rollout of the software update may take longer, and Pixel 6a owners may not see the change immediately. Google's plan to release an update to tackle overheating issues was first spotted when code referencing a 'battery overheating issue' was found in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 release. The code pointed to a support page that is not yet live, but it hints at Google's ongoing efforts to pre-empt hardware failures. The update follows after many users flagged the issue of Pixel 6a units experiencing battery failures. As reported by Android Authority, at least two users recently shared that their Pixel 6a devices caught fire while charging. One Reddit user claimed their phone 'spontaneously combusted in the middle of the night.' Although these are isolated cases, they appear to have triggered Google's latest preventive action. Notably, the situation is similar to what some Pixel 4a users faced. In that case, some users received an update that quietly reduced battery life in response to overheating risks. At the time, Google had offered battery replacements to those affected. It remains to be seen if Google will take similar steps for Pixel 6a users. Meanwhile, Google also announced an extended repair programme earlier this year for Pixel 7a units with swollen batteries. Google will soon release a mandatory software update for certain Pixel 6a smartphones that will reduce the device's battery capacity and charging performance. While the news will certainly disappoint Pixel 6a users, the company claims it has valid reasons for doing so. According to Google, the update will be released to prevent the risk of battery overheating in Pixel 6a devices after extended use. In a statement (via 9to5Google), Google confirmed that it will release a mandatory update for the Pixel 6a that will reduce battery capacity and charging performance after the device's battery reaches 400 charge cycles. Google says the update is necessary for safety and will also introduce new battery management features that kick in once the phone reaches that threshold. 'A subset of Pixel 6a phones will require a mandatory software update to reduce the risk of potential battery overheating,' Google said. 'The update will enable battery management features that will reduce capacity and charging performance after the battery reaches 400 charge cycles. We'll contact impacted customers next month, with all the information they need to address the issue.' However, not all Pixel 6a units will be affected. According to Google, only some 6a devicesâ€'presumably identified based on their battery health or manufacturing batchâ€'will be impacted. The company says it will directly contact affected users in July. However, the actual rollout of the software update may take longer, and Pixel 6a owners may not see the change immediately. Google's plan to release an update to tackle overheating issues was first spotted when code referencing a 'battery overheating issue' was found in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 release. The code pointed to a support page that is not yet live, but it hints at Google's ongoing efforts to pre-empt hardware failures. The update follows after many users flagged the issue of Pixel 6a units experiencing battery failures. As reported by Android Authority, at least two users recently shared that their Pixel 6a devices caught fire while charging. One Reddit user claimed their phone 'spontaneously combusted in the middle of the night.' Although these are isolated cases, they appear to have triggered Google's latest preventive action. Notably, the situation is similar to what some Pixel 4a users faced. In that case, some users received an update that quietly reduced battery life in response to overheating risks. At the time, Google had offered battery replacements to those affected. It remains to be seen if Google will take similar steps for Pixel 6a users. Meanwhile, Google also announced an extended repair programme earlier this year for Pixel 7a units with swollen batteries. Join our WhatsApp Channel
