Google pushed Android 16 to compatible Pixel phones and tablets yesterday (June 10), but without some of its biggest features. The new Material 3 Expressive UI, a DeX-like desktop mode, and more. They will arrive with another Android 16 update in the year. While Google has not yet explicitly provided a release date for this build, a report sheds light on when it may be released.
The new Material 3 Expressive UI and desktop mode are already live in the latest Android 16’s QPR1. So, it’s safe to assume that Google will make these changes live with the first Feature Drop of the OS, which should land sometime in September.
According to Mishaal Rahman’s sources (via Android Authority), Google reportedly plans to release Android 16 QPR1 to compatible Pixels on September 3, 2025. It will apparently push the source code to AOSP a few weeks before, on August 20, 2025. That’s the same day on which the company is rumored to unveil the Pixel 10 lineup. Given the timing, it makes sense that the company will launch its upcoming Pixels with the Android 16 QPR1 build out of the box.
While desktop mode will be a part of Android 16’s first QPR build, Google will keep its best multitasking trick exclusively for tablets. And even then, the feature might not be enabled by default, and Google may keep it tucked away in the hidden developer options menu.
None of the dates are locked in yet, and given that there are still a few months left, they could always change.
When will other Android makers adopt Material 3 Expressive?
Note that the Android 16 QPR1 release will differ from the minor SDK release with new APIs and features that Google intends to release later in 2025. It will presumably be the last Quarterly Platform Release of the OS, dropping in December 2025.
Since Material 3 Expressive will officially debut with Android 16 QPR1 in September, other Android makers will not integrate it into their initial Android 16 release. If anything, they might use this as a reason to delay integrating it into their skins until next year.
