March 06, 2026

Android 17, Now With Even More Bubbles

52 minutes

Welcome to episode 91 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, with Abner and Damien out at MWC, Will invites Andrew Romero to join him on a whirlwind tour of two new OS upgrades from Google: Android 16 QPR3, and Android 17 Beta 2. The two discuss AI-generated wallpapers, that new Now Playing app, and Android's new bubbles — not to be confused with its own bubbles — while Andrew introduces his SPI: Sandwich Price Index.

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Timecodes

00:00 - Intro and Android 16 QPR3

03:53 - AI-generated icons

13:15 - Now Playing app and flashlight toggle

22:05 - Pixel Desktop experience, At a Glance, and Gemini Automation

34:18 - Pixel Watch Drop, briefly

36:09 - Android 17 Beta 2 and Bubbles

43:32 - Beta 2 grab bag

50:52 - Wrap-up

Hosts

Will Sattelberg

Andrew Romero

Android 16 QPR3 rolling out with March 2026 security update

March 2026 Feature Drop: Pixel 10 ‘Comfort’ view, custom AI icons, At a Glance ‘My commute,’ & more

Pixel Watch Feature Drop: Express Pay, phone reminders, and more

Pixel homescreens are getting custom icons, but Google’s keeping them locked to AI

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Feedback?

Drop us a line at [email protected], leave a comment on the post, or reach out to our producer. And for even more Android discussion, dive into the official 9to5Google forums!

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