Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 Is Here To Kick Off Material 3 Expressive Testing
Google is working on the biggest Android redesign in years, but Material 3 Expressive isn’t quite ready to go live with the public release of Android 16 next month. Instead, we expect to see the bouncy new UI make its debut alongside the next Pixel Feature Drop. Today, with Google I/O 2025 underway in Mountain View, that update just moved into the beta channel.
Related
Google announced Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 on Reddit today, and everyone enrolled in the beta program is eligible for this update. That includes all of Google’s phones, tablets, and foldables, starting with the Pixel 6.
The build number for today’s update is BP31.250502.008 on most devices. Google says it ships with the August 2025 Android security patches, but we’re thinking this might be a typo since the latest Android Security Bulletin is dated May 5, 2025.
The release notes for this version are fairly thin beyond a few standard beta boilerplate disclaimers, but Google does mention that some Material 3 Expressive UI tweaks are included with the update:
Building on the initial release of Android 16, we continue to update the platform with fixes and improvements that are then rolled out to supported devices. These releases happen on a quarterly cadence through Quarterly Platform Releases (QPRs), which are delivered both to AOSP and to Google Pixel devices as part of Feature Drops.
Although these updates don’t include app-impacting API changes, we provide images of the latest QPR beta builds so you can test your app with these builds as needed (for example, if there are upcoming features that might impact the user experience of your app).
Unlike developer previews and betas for unreleased, major versions of Android, these builds are suitable for general use.
Android 16 QPR1 builds on the updates in the initial release of Android 16, including some of the Material 3 Expressive changes covered in last week’s announcements, with visual refreshes to notifications, quick settings, the lock screen, and the launcher.
Android 16 testers, this is your last chance to hop off the beta
If you were enrolled in the Android 16 beta program and don’t wish to continue using prerelease software, you will need to refuse today’s update, opt out of the Android Beta Program, refuse a subsequent Android 15 downgrade update, and then wait for the stable Android 16 rollout next month. Google outlined this process in its Reddit thread:
If you prefer to leave the Beta program and receive the public stable release of Android 16, you can do so without wiping your device by opting out and not installing today’s QPR1 Beta 1 update*. If you opt-out of the program* after installing Beta 1 or any future updates, all user data on the device will get wiped per usual program guidelines. Opting out will trigger a ‘Downgrade’ OTA. Ignore this update and wait for the Android 16 public release instead.
On the other hand, if you do want to try this new version, all you need to do is make sure your eligible Pixel device is opted into the beta program, then head to Settings → System → Software updates → System update → Check for updates.
The update is already going live, and we’re seeing it on all the devices we’ve checked so far. It clocks in at over half a gigabyte, so the installation process will likely take a while. If you’d rather go the manual route, Google has already published the factory images and OTA files — just note that it’s highly recommended to unlock your bootloader if you use this method.
Thanks: Moshe, Eduardo, and Armando!
Related
