New Android 16 QPR1 Beta Update is a Bug Fixing Monster

Google gave us the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 update a month ago and there were a handful of bugs to squash from the previous beta. Today, Google released the QPR1 3.1 update and the list of bugs fixed stretches to 20+. For what should be a smallish update, this one seems quite large in terms of issues addressed. This will be an update to grab on your Pixel device as quickly as you can.

Android 16 QPR1 3.1 update for Pixel: Google dropped this new Android 16 QPR1 3.1 update as build BP31.250610.009 for all phones, plus BP31.250610.009.A1 for the Pixel Tablet. Like with previous releases, this new QPR1 update is available for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, and Pixel 9a. Those are the still-supported devices from Google, so that’s not a surprise.

The update is available immediately in factory image and OTA file formats and should arrive over-the-air at any moment (Update: it’s live) for those in the Android Beta Program. The over-the-air update weighs in at 65MB on my Pixel 9 Pro.

Android 16 QPR1 3.1 update bug fixes: As for fixes, the full list has been included below and it is a big one. Google took care of several bugs that caused unexpected device restarts, Bluetooth crashes, several UI issues from the status bar to Quick Settings to the bottom row of apps on the home screen, and so much more. I highly recommend you read through the list if you were having issues on the previous QPR1 beta.

• Device instability or reboots related to Wi-Fi by improving how the system processes network statistics. (Issue #433037402, Issue #432867183, Issue #433418936, Issue #432795362, Issue #432770117, Issue #432699126, Issue #435489862, Issue #435011484)
• The Context Hub, a low-power sensor component, would crash due to excessive use of main memory, causing device instability; resolved by optimizing memory allocation and preventing memory leaks. ( Issue #420999948, Issue #426316038)
• The home screen sometimes lost its bottom row of pinned apps and the search bar, making them inaccessible; this was fixed by adjusting how these elements reappear after screen transitions. (Issue #428088033, Issue #428405658, Issue #429817851)
• Notifications would overlap in the shade, hindering readability, by refining the notification display and dismissal animation logic. (Issue #421792538, Issue #422749237, Issue #420418750, Issue #428896474)
• An issue that caused unexpected device restarts. (Issue #427676713)
• The Quick Settings UI on unfolded foldable devices appeared clipped or misaligned due to incorrect padding caused by double-counting the camera cutout. (Issue #419184923, Issue #421879049, Issue #421810067, Issue #423172198, Issue #422560004, Issue #424116279)
• An issue that caused devices to unexpectedly reboot. (Issue #408888279, Issue #409949346, Issue #409960197, Issue #410624610, Issue #407373090, Issue #430095518)
• The status bar appearing in the Quick Settings shade was sometimes misaligned with the standard status bar, causing a visual inconsistency. (Issue #419573315, Issue #419134909, Issue #432794874)
• Addressed a system hang or crash, particularly during unlock, caused by the camera’s Ambient Light Sensor (ALS) read getting stuck, by implementing a non-blocking method for sensor data retrieval. (Issue #421870862, Issue #420725698)
• The media player on the lock screen would sometimes disappear or become unresponsive. (Issue #420517884)
• An issue where the notification shade displayed a large, growing gap, obscuring notifications, by correcting how notification animations were clipped. (Issue #421366916)
• An issue where the media player notification could appear clipped or disappear during device rotation, by improving how its display area is sized and updated in UI transitions. (Issue #433040374)
• Video calls initiated from voice calls no longer experience muted audio; a system audio fix now correctly manages sound output during call type transitions. (Issue #434139133, Issue #427060263, Issue #438414975)
• An issue where black translucent bars appeared at the top and bottom of the home screen after exiting full-screen apps by correcting how transient system bar states were cleared. (Issue #425407737, Issue #433929827)
• An issue that caused the device to unexpectedly crash and restart during an OTA update.
• An issue causing occasional device restarts after system updates.
• Widgets on the home screen sometimes failed to load due to looking for outdated app files.
• Typing occasionally stopped working in apps because internal input system processes could race.
• Device crashes caused by the Context Hub running out of memory.
• Bluetooth crashes and instability caused by an “Unimplemented Packet Type” error have been resolved.
• [RG5][BD1A.250219.006]Unable to handle kernel paging request, PC is at edgetpu_kci_release_vmbox, LR is at edgetpu_kci_release_vmbox
• An issue that could cause phone disconnections or system crashes during calls by resolving a memory corruption bug in audio data buffer handling related to audio playback speed changes.
• A brief screen flicker happened when launching apps from the notification shade.
• A system crash that could occur when using your device’s media features, especially when connected to a computer for media transfer, by improving the internal handling of media connection resources.

To check for the update, head into Settings>System>Software updates>System update.

// Google