Android 16 QPR2 released: Lock-screen widgets, AI notifications and more for Pixel users

New Delhi: Google has begun releasing the stable Android 16 QPR2 update along with the December 2025 security patch that brings the company the promised change of releasing features on more regular updates. The update is on a large scale of Pixel models, including both the Pixel 6 series and the recent Pixel 10 series. This is the actual implementation of the Google strategy to stop the annual big release and release new features as they become available.

QPR2 is classified as a minor follow-up to the Android 16 major release earlier this year and comes to almost all supported Pixel devices, including the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold. Google calls this accelerated rollout model a new chapter that can enhance stability, assist developers and speed up innovation across applications and devices.

Android 16 QPR2 contains the most conspicuous addition with the introduction of lock-screen widgets. They show up when one swipes to the left side of the device and provide quick information without necessarily unlocking the device. The two-line clock has now been modified in that it is made haptic and thicker when tapped. A reshaped widget picker allows the user to add, delete or scale the size of a widget by making a long press on the lock screen.

Google keeps adding AI-based capabilities, with a new notification organiser which separates low-priority notifications into categories, including News, Promotions, and Social Alerts. These are located at the bottom of the notification shade and display only icons of the apps when collapsed. Customisation of the home screen is also more under user control, as well as the new shapes of the icons and automatic themed icons on all applications. The Pixel Launcher search bar also increases the size of the microphone, lens and AI mode icons slightly, whereas the live caption icon is more easily accessed on the volume slider.

Android 16 QPR2 adds aesthetic refinements to the settings, such as more streamlined designs in the Notification History and Security and Privacy sections. Parental controls are transferred to Digital Wellbeing, which is more accessible. There is an addition of HDR brightness, the dark theme being able to cover more apps, and direct recording of the number of steps taken by the Health Connect. Beta 3.3 users will receive a small patch to upgrade to the release, and the rest can check that the release has been patched manually in the system settings.