Android 16 QPR1 beta could kickstart Material 3 Expressive rollout

Google officially unveiled Android’s new design direction — Material 3 Expressive — during The Android Show yesterday. However, the company disappointed by confirming that the redesign won’t arrive with the stable Android 16 release next month.

While the broader rollout of Material 3 Expressive won’t happen until later this year, you might not have to wait too long to try out the refreshed design. According to Mystic Leaks on Telegram, Material 3 Expressive will debut in the Android 16 QPR1 beta. “As spotted in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, the new expressive design is showing up system-wide,” the channel reported.

While Google hasn’t confirmed this publicly, they did mention in a press briefing that Material 3 Expressive would become available “at the end of this month.” This strongly suggests the changes will arrive with the first QPR1 beta, since we already know the stable build isn’t launching with them.

Per Mystic Leaks, the Android 16 QPR1 update will introduce several Material 3 Expressive elements, including:

• Background blur effects
• Updated status bar icons
• A redesigned Recents view with a cleaner layout
• Clock customization and new wallpaper effects
• A revamped Quick Settings UI

Although the screenshots above highlight some of these changes, our earlier leak of the updated Android UI offers a better look at the overall design revamp.

The exact release date for the Android 16 QPR1 beta is still unknown, but based on the leak and what Google hinted at during the briefing, it could drop any day now. To get the update when it’s released, make sure your device is enrolled in the Android Beta Program.