Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 Just Made An IOS-Style Change To Your Status Bar
Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 quietly swaps the positions of Wi-Fi and mobile network icons on the status bar.
- The new arrangement mirrors Apple’s approach on iOS and breaks years of established Android UX norms.
- If Google decides to go ahead with the change, it could reach Pixel devices with the Android 16 QPR1 stable release in September, and to the wider Android platform with Android 17 next year.
It’s raining software updates! We’ve got iOS 26 beta and major updates in the Android camp with Android 16 stable and Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 releases. While Liquid Glass and Material 3 Expressive are the most noticeable changes with these updates, Google has also quietly changed the positioning of the Wi-Fi and mobile data icons on the status bar in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2, and it’s practically the same as iOS now.
Android has long presented these status bar icons in the order: Wi-Fi, mobile network, battery, from left to right. While very minor, this order gives the right of your status bar a visual hierarchy, with the Wi-Fi and network icons complementing each other visually in shape, while the battery icon stays solid.
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Android 16 Stable
Even with the redesigned status bar icons introduced with Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, this order was preserved even though the battery icon changed its orientation.
Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1
Android OEMs use different icons in their UX, but most usually follow the order. For instance, check out the status bar that is present in the current One UI 8 beta release:
Joe Maring / Android Authority
Samsung One UI 8
Once you install Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 on your Pixel device, you will notice that the position of the Wi-Fi and mobile network icons have been swapped in the status bar. The new order is mobile network, Wi-Fi, and battery.
Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2
This order gives them a more spaced-out look, each standing more independently and less complementary.
Admittedly, this is a tiny change, but one that goes against what Android has presented for years. Google hasn’t explained why this change is in the QPR1 Beta 2 release, but if you want to take a guess, have a look at the iOS status bar:
Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
iOS 18 and iOS 26
Since this change comes with the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 release, you can expect it to go live for Pixel devices with the stable release in Q3 2025, which our sources tell us can be narrowed down to September 3, 2025 (though the date isn’t set in stone). For the broader Android ecosystem, this change will come with Android 17 when that rolls out next year. All of this presumes that Google intends to proceed with the change, but the company could revert the change based on user feedback.
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