Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 is rolling out to eligible Pixel devices with build number CP31.260618.005. Beyond bug fixes, it updates desktop windowing by shifting taskbar icons to the bottom-left corner and letting picture-in-picture windows float freely anywhere o
For the people trying to use Android like a real desktop, small UI changes can feel bigger than they look. Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 is landing on eligible Pixel devices with build number CP31.260618.005, and it’s the kind of update that quietly makes multitasking easier—then gets out of the way.
One of the clearest shifts is in desktop windowing. Taskbar icons, which were previously placed at the bottom center of the screen, have been moved to the bottom-left corner. The layout now feels more like a traditional desktop interface.
The bigger change comes with picture-in-picture. In desktop windowing, PiP windows no longer have to behave like they’re destined for the side of the display. They can now float freely anywhere on screen. Users can drag a PiP window to the spot they want. and once repositioned. it stays where it was placed rather than snapping back or jumping to an edge.
Outside of desktop windowing, Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 also extends what Health Connect can automatically track. After Android 16 QPR2 introduced automatic step tracking via on-device sensors. this update expands the same idea to distance traveled and calories burned—along with steps. Since the metrics are collected directly through Health Connect. developers don’t need to build separate tracking logic for supported activity data. Users still control access and can keep managing which apps are allowed to use their Health Connect information.
Google also tweaked the Pixel Launcher experience. The home screen context menu design has been refreshed so it no longer separates individual options with divider lines. The “Wallpaper & style” label has also been moved above the recent wallpaper carousel.
As with most beta releases, there are fixes too. Beta testers reported several bugs addressed in Beta 6, including one that affected multiple spell checker language selections.
Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 is starting to roll out now, and if your day depends on desktop-like multitasking—especially PiP—this version is built to make the experience feel less constrained from the start.
Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 CP31.260618.005 Pixel desktop windowing taskbar icons picture-in-picture PiP Health Connect steps tracking distance tracking calories tracking Pixel Launcher context menu spell checker bug