Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 brings back colorful icons to At a Glance, amongst other improvements and fixes

Google has listened to user feedback and reversed course on a controversial design decision in the latest Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 update. The company is bringing back colorful weather icons to the At a Glance widget on Pixel devices, ditching the all-white minimalist approach that was introduced in earlier beta versions.

The shift to monochrome icons in the first beta update wasn’t exactly a hit with users. While some appreciated the clean aesthetic, many found the white icons practically invisible against light backgrounds, making it difficult to quickly glance at weather conditions. The lack of color made the widget feel stripped of its functionality, turning what should be an instant information source into something that required more effort to read.

After installing the beta on my Pixel 8, the difference is immediately noticeable. The colorful weather icons now pop against the home screen, making it much easier to distinguish between sunny, cloudy, or rainy conditions at a quick glance. Google has also increased the font size of the weather data, which further improves readability and helps the weather information stand out more clearly from the date and time.

The return to colored icons makes practical sense. Weather apps have traditionally used color-coded visuals because they communicate information faster than text alone. A bright yellow sun icon or dark gray rain cloud tells you everything you need to know in milliseconds, while a generic white symbol requires actual reading and interpretation.

Beyond the At a Glance improvements, Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 addresses several significant issues that were plaguing earlier beta versions. The update resolves problems with RTOS task list corruption that was causing random restarts, fixes launcher display issues, and addresses notification problems that were frustrating beta testers.

Here’s the changelog:

• An issue around RTOS task list corruption that was causing restarts. (Issue #420999948, Issue #426316038)
• Launcher not completely displaying (Issue #428088033, Issue #428405658, Issue #429817851)
• Notification display issues (Issue #421792538, Issue #422749237, Issue #420418750, Issue #428896474)
• The media player in the notification pulldown fails to fully display and function. (Issue #419184923, Issue #421879049, Issue #421810067, Issue #423172198, Issue #422560004, Issue #424116279)
• Full phone restart due to class loader issues  (Issue #427676713)
• Kernel issue causing restarts (Issue #408888279, Issue #409949346, Issue #409960197, Issue #410624610, Issue #407373090, Issue #430095518)
• Camera non-functional at startup with black screen (Issue #421870862, Issue #420725698)
• Status bar icons missing corner padding (Issue #419573315, Issue #419134909)
• Notification shade message folding breaks (Issue #421366916)

Google has also made some subtle design tweaks throughout the system. Status bar icons now have proper corner padding, and there are spacing adjustments in various parts of the interface. Dynamic Color theming has been extended to Pixel Launcher shortcuts, giving the overall experience a more cohesive feel. The folks over at 9to5Google have a dedicated article with screenshots that you can check out for more details.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the update in the comments below.