I installed Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, and these are the big changes that I noticed immediately

Thanks to the release of Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, I obtained my first taste for the next major operating system of Google and its modifications of expressive design of equipment 3. Although I have not explored all that this beta version offers, some protruding facts deserve to be mentioned.

If you are not yet on the Beta QPR1 version and want to be, it is easy to join. We have a guide to install Android 16 QPR1 beta on your device if necessary, but the process is simple. Opt in the beta program by selecting your eligible phone, which includes models from Pixel 6 on Pixel 9 and Apparatus A of the series. I have it in progress on Pixel 9A. However, remember that it is a beta version, so that certain features may not work as expected, and there is a risk of data loss. Consider this carefully before continuing.

For those who choose not to download it, you miss. Here is what marked me in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1.

First of all, there are great visual updates thanks to expressive equipment. You might like or hate these changes, but I like them. We first saw Material 3 expressive last week on the Android show, and he refreshes Android 16 with new animations based on physics, components of improved applications, fresh color themes, background blur effects, etc. Although everything will not be in the stable version of Android 16 next month, the QPR gives us an overview of what will happen.

One of my favorite updates is the shade of fast parameters. The tilles and buttons are more daring and more colorful, adding a lot of personality. The previous version was bland and lacked personalization, but now you can resize these tiles, which is a beautiful practical addition. There is more personalization, allowing you to make your parameters fast more attentive to your needs. And if you resize your tiles to the smallest size, deleting their names, Android 16 has a clever tip to show you what you click with a flashing promoter at the bottom of the quick setting panel.

You now also have tilting in one click for the Internet and Bluetooth. In quick parameters, if you slide twice down, you will notice a nice blurred effect. It is correlated with your background, giving a more expressive sensation, which lacked the old version of Android. Blur is everywhere in Android 16, not only in quick settings. On the recent screen, you will see a fuzzy version of your wallpaper throwing a glance, similar to the quick settings. It’s more obvious, and I really like it.

There are other significant changes in the user interface, with the adjustments inspired by the apples of the most visible status bar.

The biggest change is the icon of the battery, which now shows the percentage inside the indicator for the first time. Previously, it was on the side, showing the remaining percentage, but now this figure is displayed in the form itself. There is also an update of the Wi-Fi symbol in the status bar, with a more distinctive three-part design and a new design of double sim signal bar for your carrier connections.

Another expressive change 3 material arrives at volume controls. It is less sparkling than before, a small change that I like. Pop-out volume control has also been redesigned, with cursors now similar to the simpler home screen volume control.

In the settings, you will notice a change of appearance. The colorful symbols on the left side facilitate the identification of the elements at a glance. This makes the application different and more navigable parameters than ever.

In the unlocking section of the fingerprints of the parameters, there is a new button “Check the fingerprints registered”. By pressing, it opens a black screen with a fingerprint symbol. When tapped, he returns to the settings menu, highlighting the recorded footprint used to unlock your phone. If the fingerprint is not registered, an invite saying “unrecognized digital imprint” appears. It is a good way to check if someone slyly scored a fingerprint on your phone, or if you want to check that your fingerprint is properly registered.

Some of my favorite changes are in the wallpaper settings, where Google has added many new customization options. For example, you can now put your wallpaper in a customizable setting called Magic Portrait by clicking the Effects button in the wallpaper settings.

You can choose from five images, some of which can barely cut images, such as my dog’s face. The functionality is still in beta, so resizing is not yet available. You can select the frame colors from the frames, which are determined by the dominant colors of the wallpaper.

Another change in wallpaper that I like is the addition of meteorological elements, a characteristic that Samsung had previously had on its only built UI. Google now allows you to add weather elements to your wallpaper, such as fog, rain, snow or the sun, depending on your local conditions. You can change the intensity with a cursor; It looks cool, especially with 3D rain. It is surprisingly practical too, because I can now check my wallpaper instead of opening my weather application.

There is also a new cursor to resize the clock on the lock screen, but it is currently only available on the default clock using a reactive font. This allows you to change the size and width into a single movement. Maybe it will happen to other clock styles in the future, but its scope is limited for the moment.

There are also smaller changes. When closing applications and shift, there is a new animation. In the recent menu, a new pill is superimposed on each application, extending to options such as screenshot, selection and application break.

A small contextual window appears when updating your phone, indicating more space for applications and widgets on the home screen. Finally, there is more space for applications on the pixel launcher home screen, and at a glance, has decreased slightly. Is it a small step towards moving it? I hope so.

Many things are hidden in Android 16 QPR1 Beta, and I think I barely scratched the surface. But these are some of the most important changes I noticed immediately after downloading it. I can’t wait to get stuck in the beta version, but the first signs indicate an exciting suite of practical and aesthetic changes.

What do you think of Android 16 so far? Are you going to download the first beta version, or do you already have? Let us know in the comments below.