Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 makes Settings easier to navigate and squashes plenty of bugs

What you need to know

• Google has released Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 with a long list of bug fixes and stability improvements for Pixel phones.
• The update fixes critical crashes, notification shade glitches, charging limit issues, and slow Wi-Fi connectivity problems.
• Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 also introduces a cleaner System Settings layout with grouped sections for easier navigation.

It's been nearly a month since Google released the first Android 16 QPR3 beta, and the company has now rolled out the second beta, bringing a long list of fixes along with a redesigned System Settings interface.

The first Android 16 QPR3 beta introduced features like the ability to disable the At a Glance widget on the Pixel home screen and adjust flashlight sensitivity. While the Android 16 QPR3 beta 2 does not add many new user-facing features, Google has included an extensive list of bug fixes in this update.

According to Google, the Android 16 QPR3 beta 2 build fixes critical system crashes and device freezes, resolves UI glitches affecting the notification shade and app drawer, and addresses an issue where devices ignored battery charging limits. There are also fixes related to connectivity, including reports of slow Wi-Fi performance. Here is the full changelog of what is included in the latest beta build.

Here's everything that the Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 fixes

• 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.

Beyond bug fixes, Google has also made noticeable changes to the Settings app UI. Previously, navigating to Settings > System presented a long, uninterrupted list of options like Language & region, Keyboard, Navigation mode, and Gestures, with little visual separation.

With Android 16 QPR3 beta 2, these options are now grouped into clearly defined sections for easier navigation (via 9to5Google). For example, keyboard, gestures, and navigation mode now live under an "Interaction" section, while system updates have their own "Update device" subsection. While search has always been available, the new layout makes it easier to quickly spot and access specific settings.

Android 16 QPR3 beta 2 is now rolling out as an OTA update for beta testers. The update carries build numbers CP11.251209.007.A1 and CP11.251209.007 and requires enrollment in the Android Beta Program. It supports Pixel devices ranging from the Pixel 6 series to the Pixel 10 lineup.

If you prefer not to install the beta via OTA, you can manually flash factory images onto your device. Otherwise, you can wait for the stable Android 16 QPR3 release, which is expected to roll out around March 2026