Google is ending the year with a bang by releasing another big Android update. Today, the company is rolling out the second quarterly platform release of Android 16 — known as Android 16 QPR2 — for the Pixel 6 series and newer. While this update may not be quite as massive as the first quarterly drop, it’s still a significant release packed with new customization options, productivity features, security enhancements, and more. Here’s everything new in Android 16 QPR2!
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The best new customization options in Android 16 QPR2
Auto-themed icons If you want a more uniform home screen, you’ll want to enable Android’s Themed Icons feature. Introduced in Android 13, this feature tints app icons to match the system theme, creating a more visually cohesive look. Unfortunately, it relies on developers providing monochromatic versions of their icons. Since many developers haven’t done so, users are often left with a hodgepodge of themed and unthemed icons when the feature is turned on.
Android 16 QPR2 resolves this by automatically generating themed icons for apps that don’t provide them. The operating system uses a color filtering algorithm to render existing icons in a monochromatic style, allowing them to be tinted to match the system theme.
Themed Icons in Android 16 QPR1 Themed Icons in Android 16 QPR2
Custom icon shapes Speaking of icons, Android 16 QPR2 now allows you to customize their shape on the home screen. Beyond the default circle, available shapes include a square, a four-sided cookie, a seven-sided cookie, and an arch. You can access these options in the Wallpaper & style app, specifically within the “Icons” menu under the Home screen tab. Keep in mind that your selected shape applies only to the home screen — it won’t appear in the app drawer, the Settings app, or the Recents menu.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Expanded dark theme Many users prefer dark mode for its visual comfort, but unfortunately, many applications don’t support it. Some developers skip building a dedicated dark theme UI due to the time and effort required, leaving users to deal with blindingly bright interfaces.
To solve this problem, Android 16 QPR2 introduces a new ‘Expanded’ dark mode. This feature attempts to darken apps that lack a native dark theme, serving as a more aggressive alternative to the default ‘Standard’ mode. You can toggle this setting by navigating to Settings > Display & touch > Dark theme on your Pixel. As always, you can schedule these modes to activate automatically.
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