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Every single new feature in Android 17 QPR1 [Video]

Published: 09/15/2026, 06:05 PM

Get ready, Android 17 QPR1 is now available, and it might be a refresh that hardware holdouts hope is going to give them some great new features – here is everything new. Just a few weeks after the Pixel 11 started shipping, we now have a fresh update to install and run on your new phone, or any device from the Pixel 6 through to the newest additions. We are not getting huge changes here, just a few tweaks, some more refinements, mostly quality of life changes. If you want more, the Pixel Drop for September 2026 adds a little more flavor to what is, in all honesty, a very small update by the standards of Quarterly Platform Releases. As noted, most of the new functionality is very minimal at best or not notable at worst. You’ll probably notice that this update is heavily weighted toward cosmetic changes. That’s mostly just a symptom of Android hitting a bit of a functionality ceiling as of late. For more video content, subscribe to 9to5Google on YouTube. Core user interface changes are part and parcel of any Android update, as things get tweaked and tuned to help improve the cohesion of specific sections and subsections. All UI changes we have tracked relate to commonly used areas and features within Android 17 QPR1, with changes over the previous base Android 17 and 16 builds and releases noted. Google has tuned one of the key lockscreen UI portions with a vastly improved slide-in animation for media player controls while your phone is locked. When you have something playing, and your phone is locked, tapping the power button or the screen causes the media player UI to slide up into view rather than being static on your display. It’s super clean and gives this already fun section just a little more life per Material 3 Expressive’s aim for more playful UI interactions. Although live on the Pixel 11, older Pixels will get access to the new Pixel Search settings option within App list settings. This gives you options for the search bar at the top of the App drawer, so you can tune the experience to show suggestions, apps, and full web search, and adjust whether the keyboard appears automatically. If you have multiple media apps open or are using multiple at the same time, Android 17 QPR1 now stashes these within the Quick Settings panel so you are able to switch quickly while still making it easy to manage one at a time. This change is also present on the lockscreen. Android 17 QPR1 includes a host of usability enhancements aimed at making everyday device interactions smoother and more intuitive. This section details these core changes to the Android 17 QPR1 experience, which may also include some new functionalities.