Google’s most recent Android 16 QPR2 beta update is heading out to those with Pixel phones, and it includes a small tweak you’ll want to jump up and down over if you are a customization fan: native icon shape controls are making their return.
Following a few cycles where Material You color theming stole the spotlight, the system-level option to choose your icon mask is back up on stage again, and it lets you reshape how your home screen actually looks without having to use third-party launchers or icon packs.
Icon shape customization is finally back
The new toggle lets users choose from one of several icon masks — think circle, rounded square, squircle, and teardrop — so that app icons maintain a single silhouette across the launcher and app drawer. It’s something Pixels could do back in the day, and something a lot of OEM skins (Samsung’s One UI, OnePlus’ OxygenOS, etc.) have been able to maintain. Reinstating it in stock Android unifies visual consistency and ensures that the home screen doesn’t feel like a quirk.
Crucially, the shape picker lives alongside themed and monochrome icons. Want auto-tinted icons (to go with your wallpaper) but a shape mask nonetheless — color and contour aligned, of course? That solves a decades-old tension, in which consumers have had to choose between colors that are coherent and shapes that make sense. It’s also a win for older apps sporting non-adaptive icons, which now get to play nice within the standard frame, rather than compete against your grid eye.
In practice, the control is found within the Pixel’s home settings among grid and icon size controls. It is a simple switch with outsize impact: a tighter mask can make dense layouts feel cleaner; rounder ones can soften busy pages. Power users who are obsessed with symmetry will spot the difference instantly, though even average users get a more subtle feeling of polish.
What else is new in this Android 16 QPR2 beta release
This release may not carry many user-facing features but is said to include “dozens of under-the-hood changes,” according to XDA Developers (we are sharing some of its findings along with work-in-progress news for the upcoming versions). Exposing APIs that allow the system to attest to an app developer’s identity, a new framework for developer verification allows Google and OEMs to both sign up devs and receive their signed statements claiming their keys; also being made available is an ADB flag that developers can use in testing to mimic verification results (useful for CI pipelines, pre-release QA, etc.).
On the security side, Android is now delaying messages with an SMS retriever hash for a few hours to limit OTP hijacking from apps that have been granted SMS read access. Default dialer, messaging, and assistant/voice apps are not affected, so they still respond to the request since the user is initiating the call, but this raises the bar of what is required to steal credentials by listening for those events without invalidating any legitimate use cases.
Performance is further improved by a Generational Concurrent Mark-Compact garbage collector, which focuses on newly allocated objects — where garbage builds up most rapidly. Google says this will cut down on CPU time used for GC while leveling out frame delivery, which users may perceive as less micro-stuttering during fast scrolling. A decrease in background churn also translates to better battery life, particularly on devices with smaller cells.
Health Connect also advances. Step recording can now function directly off an on-device sensor without stomping a separate fitness app, as exercise data types encompass set index, weight, and Rate of Perceived Exertion for segments — ideal for strength training analytics and coach feedback.
Missing in action is the flashlight brightness slider that appeared earlier in development builds. The absence of it here is an indication that either it isn’t ready for prime time or that they are saving it for another release.
How to try the Android 16 QPR2 beta on your Pixel
The update is out for the Pixel 6 and subsequent models, right up to the latest flagship. The over-the-air update is supposed to start arriving automatically for anyone already enrolled in the Android Beta Program. Fresh testers can get their devices enrolled and receive the build shortly. Repeat after me: backing up your data is always a good idea, and remember that disconnecting from the beta path usually means wiping your device unless you hold off for the stable build.
This is a late-cycle beta; expect more polish than innovation. But still, the return of icon shape controls is exactly the kind of user-facing tweak that immediately makes your new phone feel fresh — no launchers, no hacks, or other disparate ways to get it in place on an older device: just a cleaner and more personally tuned look.
Why consistent icon shapes matter on Android
Icons are the most frequently encountered visual element you’ll engage with on Android, and small inconsistencies can make a difference. A cohesive mask enhances at-a-glance recognition, as well as making it easier to ID specific bits of app-ery, lowering the cognitive load of skimming for apps — a philosophy shared more recently by Material Design guidelines and long held by OEM launchers. On the side of accessibility, a uniform silhouette can, too, please users who rely on shape more than color.
The modern wave of Android theming brought color with personality; shape control restores rhythm and structure. Together, they help the home screen feel like yours without undermining the platform’s adaptive flexibility. It’s an understated victory that most day-to-day users are going to notice every time they open their phone.