With 2-Month Delay: Android 16 QPR1 Lands in AOSP
The update to Android 16 QPR1 has finally arrived in AOSP. Custom ROM developers and tinkerers have been waiting for it for two months.
Android 16
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The wait is over: Google has released the source code for the Android 16 QPR1 (Quarterly Platform Release), which was published on September 5th for Pixel devices, into the Android Open-Source Project (AOSP). The long period between the update for Pixel devices and the release of the source code is unusual. Typically, the company pushes the source code to AOSP almost simultaneously—with a maximum delay of two days—with the release of the update.
Material 3 Expressive for Custom ROMs
The fact that this did not happen in September irritated and angered independent developers who can compile their Android versions with the AOSP code under the rather liberal Apache 2.0 license. In response to a request from Android Authority in September, Google told the blog that it would release the code “in the coming weeks.” Those weeks have now turned into months. Because only now has Google made the branch “android16-qpr1-release” available in several AOSP repositories.
With the software now available, developers and tinkerers gain access to the code behind the new QPR1 features, including the new Material 3 Expressive design language and the still unfinished desktop mode.
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Developers of custom ROMs such as GrapheneOS, LineageOS, or CalyxOS can now bring their projects up to date with the help of the source code. They also finally have access to updated security patches, as Google is also delivering a series of over 100 security updates with Android 16 QPR1. According to the developers, LineageOS 23 based on Android 16 was released in October with the August 2025 security patch version.
Android 16 QPR2 in December
Google does not provide a specific reason for the unprecedented delay in releasing the source code. The fact that the company released it directly after the release of the November Pixel drops suggests that the QPR1 code still contained hints of hitherto unreleased features.
The next major update, Android 16 QPR2, is expected in December. It remains to be seen whether Google will withhold the source code for this version for months again.
(afl)
