Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 is now available for Pixel devices following last month’s release just before the holidays.
Quarterly Platform Releases bring more significant changes compared to monthly bug patches. Historically, QPRs are pretty stable, and Google officially says they are “suitable for general use.” Android 16 QPR3 should see a stable launch in March 2026.
Beta 2 addresses a wide range of stability, performance, and usability issues. Key fixes include resolving critical system crashes/device freezes, and correcting battery management issues where devices ignored charging limits or drained excessively. Significant improvements were made to connectivity, specifically addressing slow Wi-Fi speeds and missed calls. The update also resolves UI glitches in the notification shade and app drawer, ensuring smoother navigation and interaction.
Specifically:
- An issue where the app drawer could become unresponsive when scrolling, which required updates to how UI elements were rendered.
- Android Auto incorrectly logs extensive screen time, impacting battery life.
- Graphical glitches and performance degradation when interacting with the notification shade in full-screen or PiP modes by improving display rendering.
- An excessive battery drain issue occurring overnight by optimizing background process power consumption.
- An issue where the battery charging limit was not being respected causing devices to charge to 100% instead of the set limit.
- An issue where users experienced slow internet speeds on Wi-Fi due to a Wi-Fi connection bug.
- A crash when accessing radio information settings.
- Users experienced a noticeable delay and lack of feedback when switching audio outputs to speakerphone during calls; this was resolved by improving audio routing logic.
- A display issue causing screen flickering when waking the device from Always-On Display by updating system webview.
- An issue where certain apps, including Microsoft applications managed by Intune, were crashing on startup due to a compatibility problem with the Android system that has now been resolved.
- An issue causing inconsistent or failed wireless charging and slow wired charging by improving the power management system.
- System crashes that occurred when folding a foldable device with an app open by fixing an issue with activity lifecycle management during device state changes.
The Android Beta Feedback app is available on Pixel to submit problems. You can access it from the app drawer or via Quick Settings to file bugs in Google’s issue tracker, while the Android Beta community is on Reddit.
- CP11.251209.007.A1
- CP11.251209.007 (Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7)
Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 with the January 2026 security patch is available for the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and Pixel 9a, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, as well as the Android Emulator.
However, there are no OTA images for the Pixel 10 series. You have to use the on-device OTA.
Most people will be installing via the Android Beta Program, but you can also flash or sideload.
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