📱Google releases the final beta for its next Pixel Drop: Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3

Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 has been released (at least, the factory images) for Pixel devices ahead of the stable release in December.

Will let you know what's new shortly!

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-qpr2-beta-3-release-3607343/

PSA: Before you update to Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3, you MUST turn off "enable desktop experience features" in Settings > System > Developer options!

There's currently a bug in QPR2 Beta 3 that causes SystemUI to crash when Desktop Mode is enabled!

If you have ADB enabled and you manage to get shell access during the boot screen, you MAY be able to fix it without reverting/wiping by running this command then rebooting:

adb shell settings put global override_desktop_experience_features 0

YMMV!

—-

Rebooting to safe mode may be another option. If you can enter safe mode, then you may be able to go and disable the option/developer options entirely.

🚀Android 16 QPR2 brings Live Updates to the Android Easter egg

The Android Easter egg now shows a status bar chip indicating the progress of the spaceship to its next destination.

More details👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-qpr2-easter-egg-live-updates-3607537/

🔁Here's every new feature for Pixel phones in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3

If you're wondering what's new in the latest Android beta, check out this article 👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-qpr2-beta-3-features-3607353/

🔎📷 Google is making it easier to find the right photo on your Android phone

Google has updated the Photo Picker in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 to add a handy date scrubber and voice search support.

More details👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/android-photo-picker-date-scrubber-voice-search-3607570/

1️⃣➕OnePlus's big OxygenOS 16 update brings much more than just Android 16

I've been using OxygenOS 16 on the OnePlus 13 for the past few days, and there's a LOT more in this update than I expected!

Here's EVERYTHING that's new👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/oxygenos-16-features-3607625/

👓Google Play spills the beans on what apps & games are coming to Android XR

A collection of apps optimized for Android XR headsets has appeared on Google Play, revealing things like NFL Pro Era & Virtual Desktop (!) coming to the platform.

Details👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/google-play-apps-games-android-xr-early-listings-3608434/

📸 A new (artificial) era for Google Photos

Google Photos is getting a TON of new features that could change how we create and remember our favorite moments.

We dive into these changes in the latest episode of the Authority Insights Podcast.

Listen👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/authority-insights-podcast-009-3608297/

⏺️Google is preparing big screen recording upgrades for Android tablets and PCs

My latest Authority Insights Newsletter post dives into the upcoming revamp of Android's screen recorder tool.

Click the link👇to get all the details!

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/android-screen-recorder-toolbar-rumor-3608449/

🐧Qualcomm's new Snapdragon chip misses out on one of Android 16's best features

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 doesn’t support Android’s Linux Terminal, making Qualcomm the only vendor to not support it.

More details (including Qualcomm's statement)👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/snapdragon-chips-android-linux-terminal-3608648/

🐧Google’s Pixel 10 can now run Linux apps better than other Android phones

The Pixel 10 supports GPU-accelerated rendering for Linux apps in Android 16 QPR2, theoretically letting them run at near-native performance levels!

Here's why that matters👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/pixel-10-linux-apps-gpu-acceleration-3608754/

🖥Google is rolling out Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3.1!

This minor update fixes the issue that caused SystemUI to repeatedly crash when Desktop Mode was enabled.

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-qpr2-beta-3-return-3608643/

💬Google Messages is making it easier to share from your Google Photos library

Messages is testing a new media picker that embeds Android’s Photo Picker.

This lets it access your local & cloud media gallery without sensitive permissions.

Details👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/google-messages-embedded-photo-picker-3608788/

🔦Android’s new flashlight brightness slider now has a clever design like a real flashlight

The new 2510 Android Canary release brings a brand new UI for the flashlight brightness controls in Quick Settings.

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/android-flashlight-brightness-design-3608998/

📱Pixel phones will get a smarter always-on display that saves battery life

New code suggests Android will add a feature that turns off the AOD automatically when there's no user activity.

More details👇

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/always-on-display-inactivity-detection-rumor-3609052/

🔙🏠Android FINALLY lets you flip your Pixel’s navigation buttons, just like on Samsung phones

The latest Android Canary has added a setting to change the order of the buttons in the 3-button navigation bar, as we previously reported would happen.

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/reorder-three-button-navigation-setting-3609073/

🥽FINALLY: The Galaxy XR headset from Samsung is official!

It's the first headset to run Android XR, the Android release optimized for XR devices!

Main specs:

📺 4K micro-OLED display
✨ Gemini built-in
🔥Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2
⚖️545g
🔋2 hours
💰$1800

Click 👇for EVERYTHING you need to know

🔗https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-xr-launch-3608886/