To create a more consistent user experience for users who have low vision, photosensitivity, or simply those who prefer a dark system-wide appearance, QPR2 introduced an expanded option under dark theme.
The old Fitbit app showing the impact of expanded dark theme; the new Fitbit app directly supports a dark theme
When the expanded dark theme setting is enabled by a user, the system uses your app's isLightTheme theme attribute to determine whether to apply inversion. If your app
inherits from one of the standard DayNight themes, this is done automatically for you. If it does not, make sure to declare isLightTheme="false" in your dark theme to ensure your app is not inadvertently inverted. Standard Android Views, Composables, and WebViews will be inverted, while custom rendering engines like Flutter will not.
This is largely intended as an accessibility feature. We strongly recommend implementing a native dark theme, which gives you full control over your app's appearance; you can protect your brand's identity, ensure text is readable, and prevent visual glitches from happening when your UI is automatically inverted, guaranteeing a polished, reliable experience for your users.
Custom Icon Shapes & Auto-Theming
In QPR2, users can select specific shapes for their app icons, which apply to all icons and folder previews. Additionally, if your app does not provide a dedicated themed icon, the system can now automatically generate one by applying a color filtering algorithm to your existing launcher icon.
The Linux development environment feature has been expanded to support running Linux GUI applications directly within the terminal environment.
Widget Engagement Metrics
You can now
query user interaction events—such as clicks, scrolls, and impressions—to better understand how users engage with your widgets.
16KB Page Size Readiness
To help prepare for future architecture requirements, we have added early warning dialogs for debuggable apps that are not 16KB page-aligned.
Media, Connectivity, and Health
QPR2 brings robust updates to media standards and device connectivity.
IAMF and Audio Sharing
We have added software decoding support for Immersive Audio Model and Formats (IAMF), an open-source spatial audio format. Additionally, Personal Audio Sharing for Bluetooth LE Audio is now integrated directly into the system Output Switcher.
Health Connect Updates
Health Connect now automatically tracks steps using the device's sensors. If your app has the READ_STEPS permission, this data will be available from the "android" package. Not only does this simplify the code needed to do step tracking, it's also more power efficient. It also can now track weight, set index, and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) in exercise segments.
Smoother Migrations
A new 3rd-party Data Transfer API enables more reliable data migration between Android and iOS devices.
Strengthening Privacy and Security
Security remains a top priority with new features designed to protect user data and device integrity.
Developer Verification
We introduced APIs to support developer verification during app installation along with new ADB commands to simulate verification outcomes. As a developer, you are free to install apps without verification by using ADB, so you can continue to test apps that are not intended or not yet ready to distribute to the wider consumer population.
SMS OTP Protection
The delivery of messages containing an
SMS retriever hash will be delayed for most apps for three hours to help prevent OTP hijacking. The
RECEIVE_SMS broadcast will be withheld and
sms provider database queries will be filtered. The SMS will be available to these apps after the three hour delay.
Secure Lock Device
A new system-level security state, Secure Lock Device, is being introduced. When enabled (e.g., remotely via "Find My Device"), the device locks immediately and requires the primary PIN, pattern, or password to unlock, heightening security. When active, notifications and quick affordances on the lock screen will be hidden, and biometric unlock may be temporarily disabled.
Get Started
If you're not in the Beta or Canary programs, your Pixel device should get the Android 16 QPR2 release shortly. If you don’t have a Pixel device, you can
use the 64-bit system images with the Android Emulator in Android Studio. If you are currently on the Android 16 QPR2 Beta and have not yet installed the Android 16 QPR3 beta, you can opt out of the program and you will then be offered the release version of Android 16 QPR2 over the air.
For the best development experience with Android 16 QPR2, we recommend that you use the latest Canary build of
Android Studio Otter.
Thank you again to everyone who participated in our Android beta program. We're looking forward to seeing how your apps take advantage of the updates in Android 16 QPR2.
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Posted by Matthew McCullough, VP of Product Management, Android Developer
