Updated Dec. 28 with more details of the latest Android 16 changes.
The latest Google Pixel update has just landed. It’s a new beta update for Android 16. If it feels like your Pixel only had an update days ago, that’s because it did. That was Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1, which landed on Dec. 17. If you installed it, you’ll know there was a lot in it — more on that below — and there’s a new update that needs your attention now and, since it corrects a problem which has been frustrating many beta users, you’ll probably want to install it.
Google Pixel 10
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The new update is Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1.1. It’s a comparatively small update, weighing less than 60MB on several phones, which is wildly different from the QPR Beta 1, which was over 3GB.
The build number for all Pixels except one is CP11.251114.007, while the Pixel 7a receives CP11.251114.004.A2. As usual, it’s available as an over-the-air download and will happen automatically after a period of time, according to your settings. Given that it fixes app issues, it’s worth doing sooner rather than later.
QPR, as you may know, stands for Quarterly Platform Release, and this latest one is expected to be in beta for a while, with the general release in March 2026.
But the recent release, which included the December 2025 security patch, brought a problem with it. Here’s which phones it applies to, and what it means.
Which Pixels Work With This Update?
Oh, a lot. The full list is this: Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, 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, Pixel 9a, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. That’s every Pixel since late October 2021.
What’s In The New Update?
The good news is there’s only one item on the list in this update, but the bad news is it’s an important bug fix, so it’s worth installing.
Google says the new update will fix a change that caused some apps to crash on startup. That’s something that’s not only downright annoying but potentially serious, depending on which apps are affected and whether there’s an easy override.
Well, that’s what this update is for. Since it’s a beta, the impact so far may be limited, though estimates suggest there could be 1.5 million Pixels running the latest beta.
Of course, many millions more Pixels are running the general release Android 16 software.
If you’re on the beta, you need to update your Pixel. All suitable devices that are enrolled in the Android Beta for Pixel Program will be offered an over-the-air update, 9to5Google reported.
“It appears the beta fixes the app crash issue with banking apps,” Android Police reported. “However, Microsoft apps like Teams, Outlook, and Edge are still crashing on launch. Clearing the system and app cache does not help things either. Some banking apps also continue to crash, but the majority now seem to work.”
Again, if you use banking apps on your phone, you’ll want to install this update pronto.
There’s something else: there’s advice from Google against quitting the Android Beta Program once this update is installed.
“If you plan to exit the Android Beta Program sometime soon, Google advises against installing Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1.1. It notes that some users might run into data corruption issues when doing so. To avoid this issue, it’s best to either skip installing QPR3 Beta 1.1 altogether or wait for QPR3 Beta 2 before exiting the program,” as Android Police reported.
The beta release that preceded the new one, all the way back on Dec. 17, introduced some neat changes, big and small. For instance, Android users can adjust the brightness of the flashlight while it’s turned on, something iPhone users have been able to do for some time. Handy if you discover the situation needs more, or less, light than you originally thought.
Something quite minor, but also radically different, is the capability to remove the At A Glance widge from the Pixel home screen. I find this useful — it’s a quick way to get at useful information or even turn on the flashlight, but it’s not vanishing. Unless you want it to.
There are more changes, including how you get notifications when an app is using your location, which will now be indicated by a blue notifier at the top right of the display.
