The Android 16 preview cycle continues today with QPR2 Beta 1 today for Pixel devices.

Over the coming hours, we’ll dive into all of Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1’s new features and every single change. (The newest updates will be at the top of this list. Be sure to check back often and tell us what you find in the comments below.) Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3.1 screenshots appear on the left and QPR2 Beta 1 on the right.

If you want to quickly install Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 on your compatible Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and Pixel 9a, be sure to check out our step-by-step guide.

Updating…

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More edge-to-edge Settings app

90/10 split-screen

M3 Expressive for restored Users widget

Screen saver > Low light mode

Settings > Parental controls

• Google Family Link + new on-device controls to:
  • Set screen time limits
  • Set downtime schedules, restricting device access at specific times, like bedtime
  • Set time limits for individual apps or block specific apps
  • Filter out mature content from browsers and search engines like Google Chrome and Google Search

Always-on display page now has an accompanying graphic

Enhanced HDR brightness

Mobile network security

• More prominent placement in Settings > Network & internet instead of at the bottom of the SIM card/mobile network page
• “2G network protection avoids 2G networks, which are less secure. This may limit connectivity in some places. 2G is always allowed for emergency calls, but calls may not connect if you’re roaming internationally.”

‘Remove’ option when long-pressing a homescreen app icon

Redesigned Widgets panel with dedicated ‘Featured’ tab

Lockscreen widgets / ‘hub mode’ on phones

• First launched on the Pixel Tablet.
• After enabling “Widgets on lock screen,” swipe left to access hub mode

More

Themed -> ‘Minimal’ icons

• Icon will forcibly get a Minimal look, see: the NotebookLM app and PWA in the example below
• “Create” option coming

Live Transcribe, Sound Amplifier, and Sound Notifications moved into Accessibility QS category

8BitDo is predominantly known for its excellent gamepads of all and , but it makes other accessories too, including a for the Xbox Wireless Controller that is currently 20 percent off. Right now you can grab the officially licensed dock for $20, down from its regular price of $25.

8BitDo’s charging dock is compatible with the and Xbox One variants of the Xbox Wireless Controller and uses magnetic contact charging to juice up your pad. It comes with a 1,100mAh battery pack and a battery door for each version of Microsoft’s controller. Note that you get a USB-C cable included, but not a power adapter.

8Bitdo

Charging time is around three hours, and a light indicator tells you the status of your pad’s battery: It’s amber while charging, and white when the controller is fully charged.

The is one of the few modern pads that still ships with AA batteries out of the box. While they tend to last for a while, you’ll likely want to upgrade to a rechargeable alternative eventually, and 8BitDo’s currently discounted accessory ensures you’ll never have a flat controller again.

With the in-app redesign widely available, Google Calendar for Android is now rolling out M3 Expressive homescreen widget updates.

At full width, the Calendar schedule widget switches from a floating action button-esque rounded square to a pill for adding events. The reduced height translates to letting you see one more line of text or so. Meanwhile, the font for the month is a bit thicker.

Old vs. new

If you make this widget narrower, Google is dropping the two-column interface where the day and date appear in a pill at the left. Instead, it appears at the top for a standard list design with less abbreviation. It’s a more straightforward look (and possibly easier to miss on your homescreen), but the increased information density is nice.

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The only change to the Calendar month view widget is the ‘plus’ pill at the top-right corner.

We’re seeing these M3 Expressive widgets with Google Calendar 2025.32.0.x, but the server-side update is not yet widely rolled out.

More on Google Calendar:

The White House has joined TikTok, the social media app that President Trump wanted to ban during his first term. Its first post shows clips of Trump in various events with Kendrick Lamar’s track playing in the background. The New York Times notes that it references a popular video edit of Creed, a boxing movie starring Michael B. Jordan, on the app. In the TikTok post, Trump could be heard saying “I am your voice,” while the caption reads “America we are BACK! What’s up TikTok?”

Trump’s administration believes TikTok helped him win over young voters in the 2024 Presidential election, with the account he used to campaign having over 15 million followers. “President Trump’s message dominated TikTok during his presidential campaign, and we’re excited to build upon those successes and communicate in a way no other administration has before,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

The president wasn’t always fond of the platform. He once vowed to ban the app in the US and signed an executive order to outlaw any transaction between the app and its China-based parent company ByteDance for national security reasons. TikTok’s “data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information — potentially allowing China to track the locations of Federal employees and contractors, build dossiers of personal information for blackmail, and conduct corporate espionage,” the executive order read.

After taking office earlier this year, however, Trump quickly put a pause on the law that was supposed to ban TikTok in the US. He even delayed the ban a couple more times to give ByteDance more time to sell its US business. Trump previously claimed that a “very wealthy” group is poised to buy TikTok, but the administration has yet to reveal the identities of the people in it.

Ahead of the Pixel 10 series launch next week, Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold is currently selling for just $1,099 in what is a stellar deal for a foldable phone.

Launched last year for $1,799, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was an incredible upgrade over Google’s first-generation foldable, and was arguably the best foldable US customers could buy through 2024 and most of 2025. Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 7 changes that conversation, but that foldable’s high price tag isn’t all that compelling with the latest offer on Google’s device.

Right now, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is just $1,199 on Amazon, down from its usual $1,799 price tag. That’s a massive discount, and the lowest price ever on a new-condition 9 Pro Fold. The device is sold and shipped directly by Amazon, too.

Update 8/19: Just a day ahead of Google’s big launch event, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has dropped by another $100 and is now just $1,099 on Amazon and Best Buy too. It’s a screaming good deal.

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Why the discount? The likely answer is the imminent debut of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. While Google isn’t currently mirroring this same price in its own store, retailers often want to purge a bit of inventory ahead of a new generation’s arrival.

With Pixel 10 Pro Fold only rumored to include a few key upgrades – Qi2, thinner bezels, bigger battery, IP68 – it’s a solid deal to say the least.

As noted by our sister site 9to5Toys, the Fold isn’t the only Pixel currently on sale, as Pixel 9 Pro is down to as low as $599 at the moment, while Pixel 9a is down to $399.

More on Pixel Fold:

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