The latest Android 16 QPR2 beta makes it easier to add app shortcuts to home screen

What you need to know

• Google has released Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 for Pixel devices with new features and stability fixes.
• The update adds a "+" button to app shortcuts, making it easier to pin them directly to the home screen.
• Other changes include a Live Caption shortcut in volume controls and larger icons in the search bar.
• The stable Android 16 QPR2 update is expected to roll out to all users in December 2025.

It's been only a couple of months since Google rolled out the Android 16 QPR1 update, which introduced the Material 3 Expressive design language to older Pixel devices. Now, the company has released Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 for Pixel phones after a few weeks of public testing.

As expected, later QPR beta builds mainly focus on stability and bug fixes, but QPR2 Beta 3 also includes a few new features. The previous QPR2 beta added customizable icon shapes, and this version makes it easier to add app shortcuts directly to the home screen.

App shortcuts are not new to Android. They've existed for years and appear when you long-press an app icon. For example, long-pressing the YouTube app reveals shortcuts like Subscriptions, Shorts, and Search. These could previously be added to the home screen, but with Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3, Google now includes a "+" button beside each shortcut, making it more obvious that they can be pinned to the home screen.

Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 focuses on fixes and small tweaks

There are also a few smaller changes in this build. A Live Caption shortcut has been added directly to the volume control menu, and the icons for the microphone, Google Lens, and AI Mode in the home screen search bar are now slightly larger for better visibility.

Beyond these additions, the update includes several bug fixes. It resolves an issue where Google Play System Updates failed to install for some users, as well as a problem where devices charged to 100% even when adaptive charging was turned on. You can view the full release notes for Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 down below:

• Google Play System Updates were failing to install for some users.
• Home screen shortcuts appeared as blank gray circles.
• The Wallet icon on your lockscreen could sometimes appear with incorrect coloring.
• Battery charged to 100% when adaptive charging is turned on.
• The swipe-up gesture from the bottom occasionally stopped working.
• Your selected theme might not apply on the first attempt.
• 50MP images captured with the ultrawide or telephoto lens displayed rainbow artifacts.
• Poor battery life due to excessive CPU usage by the launcher, particularly on foldable devices.
• Calls could incorrectly route Bluetooth audio.
• Users in New Zealand could not access all 6GHz Wi-Fi networks.
• The Terminal app would crash if you changed your device's UI font size while it was open.
• Users couldn't type special characters like `*`, `@`, or `#` in the GUI terminal.
• Simultaneously swiping lockscreen widgets and the notification shade caused buggy animations and a laggy, unresponsive UI.
• The screen sometimes became unresponsive or froze when unlocking the device.
• Display freezes and screen noise.
• Unexpected device crashes.

If you want to try out the latest Android 16 beta, make sure your Pixel is enrolled in the Android Beta Program. OTA updates have already started rolling out, but if it hasn't appeared on your device yet, you can sideload or flash the factory image manually. Alternatively, if you prefer waiting for the stable release, the final version of Android 16 QPR2 is expected to arrive in December 2025.