Latest news with #QPR1Beta
Android Authority
a day ago
- General
- Android Authority
Android 16 QPR1 will suggest photo wallpapers of your loved ones from Google Photos
Robert Triggs / Android Authority TL;DR Google Pixel users on Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 are now getting personalized wallpaper suggestions. The suggestions are curated from your Google Photos library, mainly featuring people and pets. Users can revoke access if they don't want their photos to appear as suggestions when setting a wallpaper. Setting your phone's wallpaper is the first and often underrated step towards personalizing your device and making it truly yours. There are a ton of wallpaper options out there, and we even have some favorites from the Google Pixel lineup. While abstract art and landscape photography make for great wallpaper choices, many of us prefer something even more personal, like a photo of a loved one, right on our home screen. However, sifting through hundreds of photos to find one good picture to set as a wallpaper is tedious. Google is changing the game for Pixel users running Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, now suggesting personalized wallpapers from the photos they have clicked and uploaded to Google Photos. The Wallpaper & Styles app from Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 includes the following string: Code Copy Text Suggested photos While the string doesn't directly mention it, Google Photos is the default photo app in the QPR beta, so photo suggestions are most likely to come from there. We joined the dots with a service within Google Photos that mentions 'curated wallpapers,' indicating that the Wallpaper & Styles app could pull in photos from Google Photos. AssembleDebug / Android Authority That's precisely what has happened now. With a recent Google Play System update, as well as after updating the Google Photos app to v7.31, the Wallpaper and Styles app on Google Pixels on Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 now suggests wallpapers from your Google Photos libraries in the main wallpaper selection screen, We can see six photos as suggestions. It seems the images are selected with a bias towards people and pets. If you don't want your images to appear in the Wallpaper & Style app as suggestions, you can revoke its access from the Google Photos app. Surfacing photos directly in the Wallpaper & Styles app is a nice touch, especially since many people would love to have their children, partners, parents, or pets showcased on their home screen. The app also allows users to select other photos if they don't like the current suggestions. Such a change puts the personal touch into personalization, and we're all in for it. These personalized wallpaper suggestions curated from Google Photos are now rolling out to users. To get the option to show up in your Pixel's Wallpaper & Style app, ensure that you are on the latest Google Photos version and Google Play System Update on the latest Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release. 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
23-05-2025
- Android Authority
I'm using Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1. These are the 6 best (and 2 worst) things about it
Joe Maring / Android Authority You've probably heard a lot about the Android 16 QPR1 Beta this week — and for good reason. This newest beta release is our first look at Android 16's biggest user-facing changes, including the Material 3 Expressive redesign. I've been using the Android 16 QPR1 Beta on my Pixel 9 Pro for the last couple of days, and so far, things are off to an excellent start. Material 3 Expressive is undoubtedly the hallmark feature, but there's a lot more to this beta than Google's new design language (as good as it may be). Here are the six best things in the first Android 16 QPR1 Beta, plus a couple of the beta's shortcomings. Have you downloaded the Android 16 QPR1 Beta on your Pixel? 243 votes Yep, I've already got it. 30 % Not yet, but I plan to. 25 % No, I'm waiting for the stable release. 38 % I don't have a supported Pixel. 7 % Material 3 Expressive feels incredible Andy Walker / Android Authority Material 3 Expressive is the most obvious update in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, and it happens to be one I quite like, so let's start there. Visual changes, like the volume/brightness sliders and blurred UI elements, make Android 16 QPR1 look fresh and new in a way Android hasn't in a long time. But more so than the visuals, what's impressed me the most about Material 3 Expressive is how it feels. When moving an app icon on your home screen, there are now subtle vibrations as you move it around empty spaces on the page. When you swipe a notification away, it gently pushes on notifications above/below it, before it finally releases with haptic feedback as you swipe it away. If you swipe up on an app in the recent apps page but then let it go, it bounces the surrounding app cards as it falls back into place. These are all things that are difficult to put into writing, but you notice them the second you start interacting with the Android 16 QPR1 Beta. They make Android feel more alive and responsive than ever before, and I'm loving it. A new look for notifications Joe Maring / Android Authority Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 (left) and Android 15 Speaking of notifications, I love the updated look we have for them in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1. App icons are larger and more detailed, text is slightly larger and bolder, and notification card colors finally match your system theme. That may not sound like much on paper, but in practice, it all makes a pretty substantial difference. I find that notifications in Android 16 QPR1 stand out more and are easier to pick up information from while scrolling through them. Maybe it's a personal preference, but I'm really happy with the changes here. There's a much better Settings app An even bigger visual change that I've been thrilled with is the new Settings app. The differences are apparent as soon as you open the app, with color-coded icons used to group settings tabs together. Not only does it make Settings look more lively, but it also works well as a visual indicator of related pages. Furthermore, other menus within the Settings app look better, too. Different categories of settings are more clearly separated from each other, while buttons are also more clearly defined. The actual layout and options available largely remain the same, but it's all presented so much better than before. More customizable quick settings Joe Maring / Android Authority Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 shows some love to quick settings, too. Specifically, it adds a much-needed customization option. Now, in addition to arranging the position of your quick settings toggles, you can also change their size. Currently, there are just two size options available: the standard oval shape, plus a new small circle that takes up half the space. I'd love to see even more size options down the road, but already, this has helped make my quick settings feel neater and more efficient. It lets me have all the toggles I want without them taking up an enormous amount of space, and the new shapes add some much-needed visual flair, too. Magic Portrait is so much fun Joe Maring / Android Authority This is a feature I didn't expect at all going into the Android 16 QPR1 Beta, but it's quickly become one of my favorites. While adding a new lock screen or home screen wallpaper, you can now tap a new Effects button to spruce it up. This is where you'll find Magic Portrait, which frames the subject of your wallpaper photo into a fun cutout. You can then customize the shape of the frame, plus the color and saturation of the background surrounding it. Once it's all set up, it looks so damn good. Not only does it add a load of style to your lock screen, but when you unlock your phone, there's a stunning transition effect where your photo bursts out of the frame to take over your home screen. It's charming to the nth degree, and I've been having a blast playing with it. As someone who usually uses Backdrops wallpapers, Magic Portrait may convert me to using my photos. It's that good. An updated Wallpaper & style app Wallpaper & style in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 Wallpaper & style in Android 15 On the note of lock screen customization, the 'Wallpaper & style' app has a brand new look in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta, and it's a pretty substantial upgrade. Now, you can swipe back and forth between your lock screen and home screen options instead of tapping the touch targets near the top of the screen. All of the lock screen clock settings are also grouped together in a new Clock area, whereas they were previously spread out across a couple of different menus. Combined with a general refresh for all menus and UI elements through the Wallpaper & style app, it's a much better experience than we have in Android 15. The worst things about Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 Joe Maring / Android Authority Overall, my first impressions of Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 have been really positive. Almost all of the changes are for the better, and they help make Android 16 feel more lively and intuitive than any previous version. That all said, there are a couple of things in the update that I'm not particularly fond of. The first is the new battery icon in the status bar. In Android 15, your battery percentage is displayed next to the battery icon, but in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, the percentage is placed inside the battery. Is it a bit tidier? Sure. But it also decreases the visibility of the percentage number, making it more difficult to see at a glance. It's not the end of the world, but I'd like an option to go back to the old design. I also don't like what Google did to the At a Glance widget on the home screen. It's now slightly smaller than before, giving you an extra row of space for apps and widgets. Which is fine, but it doesn't solve anything. As someone who's been begging Google for an option to remove At a Glance from the home screen altogether, making it smaller doesn't help. And if you like At a Glance, I don't think you'll be thrilled with its new size either, as I find it quite challenging to read at times, especially with a busy wallpaper. To me, this feels like a move most folks won't be happy with. I hope the old size comes back for people who like At a Glance, and for the rest of us, it's time Google finally gives us the option to get rid of it. Off to a great start Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority While I'd like to see those above complaints addressed in future updates, it's a testament to how good Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 is if my two biggest issues are the design of a battery icon and the size of At a Glance. I think you'll have a great time with Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1. Google seems to be nailing almost everything with Android 16 QPR1. The Material 3 Expressive redesign is exciting, the added customization with quick settings is great, and I cannot stress enough how wonderful Magic Portrait is. If you have a supported Pixel and want to download the Android 16 QPR1 Beta for yourself, I think you'll have a great time with it. I certainly have been.
GSM Arena
21-05-2025
- GSM Arena
Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 now available for Pixel devices with Material 3 Expressive UI
Peter 21 May 2025 Google Android Firmware Updates Google has rolled the Material 3 Expressive UI changes into Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, which you can download and try out today on a compatible Pixel phone. Note that this is aimed at developers and may not be stable enough for a daily driver – a stable release is expected next month. Android 16 UI changes: quick settings redesign • live updates Android QPR1 Beta 1 (QPR stands for 'Quarterly Platform Release') can be downloaded if you join the Android beta program. It supports the following Google devices (from older to newer): If you run into issues, you can check the Android Beta subreddit and Google's issue trackers. PS. In case you missed it, Google announced Wear OS 6 today, which will also incorporate the Material 3 Expressive UI design. Source Google Pixel 9a Google Pixel 9 Google Pixel 9 Pro Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
